Hi Swistle,
I’ve been reading your blog for years and my husband and I finally feel the need for some advice for naming our baby girl, due at the end of July. She will most likely be our last baby. After looking through name lists for years I’m definitely getting name-fatigue and am worried we’re overlooking something.
Our son is named Frederick Miles, nicknamed Freddie and sometimes Fred. We like traditional familiar names with nickname potential and aren’t too popular: both my husband and I have very common first names with a very common last name. Frederick really hits that sweet spot for us and we were hoping for another name with similar history and current use. We both love that we haven’t met other little boys with his name. For middles we prefer not to use honor names, just something that we like that flows with the first name.
We do have a few rules and preferences No repeated first initials M, R, or F – this is a non-negotiable for my husband. Nothing too Biblical/religious. I like strong sounding, non-frilly (warrior-queen) girls’ names that don’t end in ‘a.’ Most of the little girls I know have an ‘a’ sound at the end of their name and I prefer something more tailored – but it is not so much a rule as a preference. Also, nothing that sounds like a play on words with our last name, word names, color names, although my husband thinks that’s cute. He tends to like more feminine, whimsical names for girls. There are a few names we both like. If Freddie had been a girl he would have been Winifred, but obviously we can’t use it now which is heartbreaking. We have almost agreed on Harriet Faye, nn. Hattie which I like but don’t know if I love. My husband liked the name Harriet first and I’ve come around to it – plus it checks every rule and preference box.
Names I like:
Gertrude (I know it’s controversial but I LOVE everything about it. Nn. Gert/Gertie, Tru/Trudy or Rudy! This one has been hard to get over.)
Margaret (M-name; a little too common but I have loved it for years, so many nickname options!)
Beatrix/Beatrice (Bea, Bebe, Trixie)
Prudence (Prue, too religious sounding for my husband)
Katherine (Kit; not quite rare enough)Names my husband likes:
Violet (Vi, Vivi)
Cordelia
Pomeline (Pom-Pom, way too cutesy for me)
Helen (nn. Nell, Nellie)
Juniper (Junie)
Penelope (Penny)Names we both like/our short list:
Harriet (does Hattie sound too similar to Freddie?)
Josephine (concerned it’s getting too popular; nn. Josie)
Clementine (two pronunciations; don’t know if we love Clem/Clemmie)
Wilhelmina (husband loves, but I’m concerned it’s a mouthful and hard to spell; nn. Willa, Billie, Minnie)
Georgia (nn. Georgie; too southern for us? Is Freddie and Georgie too Harry Potter??)
Olive (nn. Ollie or Liv; getting more popular and Olive Brown breaks the rules – but we both still really like it)
Annie (we love this but would only use a longer form and can’t find the perfect one)
Juno (Junie; style outlier for us)Should we stick with Harriet or are there other names we should consider?
Thanks for your help!
Rachel
I think Frederick and Harriet is a HEART-EYES sibling set. I think Hattie is not at all too similar to Freddie.
I wish I could suggest Millicent, but it breaks the repeated-initial rule. I love it with your surname; I love it with the sibling name. Nickname Millie.
I wish I could suggest Florence, but it breaks the repeated-initial rule. I just love it, and I think it has that tailored sound you like.
Another nickname option for Clementine is Minnie. Visually it wouldn’t have occurred to me, but verbally it works. I think as long as you want the Oh My Darling pronunciation, you won’t have many pronunciation issues; if you want the -teen sound at the end, you will probably have to accept a certain level of pronunciation-correction as part of the package deal of the name.
I wonder if you’d like Imogen. Nicknames Immy or Midge or Genny.
I had Wilhelmina on my own list, but Paul and I both come from predominantly Dutch families, so we were considering the Dutch variation Willemina, a spelling I prefer anyway: it’s the “hel” part of Wilhelmina that just feels like Too Much to me, spelling- and pronunciation-wise.
Georgia doesn’t feel too southern to me. The state certainly is in the news a whole lot right now; I don’t think that would stop me from using the name, but it might give me pause. Freddie and Georgie wouldn’t have made me think of Harry Potter, but we need to ask the people who read those books again and again, because there are a lot of people in that category, and they’re all reading those books again and again to their kids. But also, I don’t mind as much when the issues are with nicknames: if the Fred and George association turns out to be (1) a constant issue and (2) unpleasant for them, they have other name options that avoid it.
A name in a similar category as Georgia for me is Augusta. It ends in -a, but more in a Georgia/Wilhelmina sort of way. Nickname Gus or Gussie.
Looking at Margaret and Gertrude, I wondered if you’d like Gretchen.
Looking at Gertrude and Prudence and Juniper and Juno, I wonder if you’d like Judith. It’s a bit cutting-edge, because it’s not quite time for it to come back, but I think it would surprise people in a good way. There’s the usual nickname Judy, or there’s also Jude.
I love Cordelia from your husband’s list. I encountered a real-life Delia and the name struck me very positively. I like how Frederick and Cordelia sound together: all those matching consonant sounds, assembled so differently.
I love Beatrix from your list. I would think the whimsy of the alliteration with your surname might please your husband.
Penelope and Josephine make me think of Philippa. I like the way it gives you sibling-name alliteration without actually repeating an initial: Frederick and Philippa, Freddie and Pippa.
Penelope and Josephine and Wilhelmina make me think of Philomena, but I like that less than Philippa, mostly because I am still reeling from the cuteness of Freddie and Pippa.
I have been going back and forth about whether I should suggest Persephone. Frederick and Persephone; Freddie and Persy. Definitely there would be spelling/pronunciation issues, but perhaps worth it!
Name update:
Dear Swistle,
It’s time for our name update! There was so much great feedback from you post and all the comments that inspired Mike and me to revise our finalist list. We ended up with 4 names that we couldn’t decide from and went to the hospital hoping one would stand out once we met our baby girl. The names were Harriet, Beatrix, Wilhelmina and Josephine. Mike had loved Harriet the most from the beginning and when I spent the first few minutes with her, I knew she was our Hattie. We went with Harriet Faye and it has all of the qualities we wanted in a name: strong and traditional, familiar but uncommon, and just a bit nerdy. We love it so much now on our 3-week-old and wanted to thank you, Swistle, and all the commenters here for the positive feedback that helped to reinforce our choice.
Warmly,
Rachel
Love Harriet. Love Wilhelmina. Love Beatrix. And LOVE Swistle’s suggestions of Judith and Gretchen and Imogen.
What about Gwendolyn? So many nickname options, and for me it’s in the same non-frilly category as Winifred.
Or Rowena is another one that seems to me to fit with your style. But drat it repeats an initial.
Harriet makes me think of Louise, which would be a good pairing with Frederick to my ears.
We both love Lou/Lulu names! Unfortunately for us a family member just named their daughter Tallulah called Lu. It almost doesn’t matter, but I have a need to be original.
From your list, I love the combination of Frederick and Beatrix. Beatrix Brown. Bea, Trix, Trixie. Freddie and Trixie. Fred and Trix. So cute!
From your husband’s list, I’m drawn more to Penelope. Frederick and Penelope. Penelope Brown. Pen, Penny, Nel, Nellie. Freddie and Penny. Freddy and Nellie.
From your combined list, I notice you said you both love Annie but would prefer a long version. If you both love Annie, then here are some long options that don’t end in “a”, are not overly religious in sound/feel, and might even have a little hidden warrior queen in them:
Antoinette
Annette
Annalise
Annalie
Annalyn / Annaline
Anaïs (ah nah EES)
Annamarie / Annemarie
Annegret (kind of feels like a cross between Anne and Margaret, both on your list and unique)
Joanne
Julianne
Brianne
Bethann
Diane / Diann / Dianne
Elianne / Elian
And I’m just going to toss this one in, as it technically ends in a “h”:
Savannah
If you were ok with repeating parental first letters, I’d recommend:
Rhiannon
Meghan
Marianne / Marian
There are so many excellent options for you all over Swistle’s post and the comments. Please promise to come back and tell us what you chose!
I was coming here to mention Annette as well. Of all the ways to get to Annie, it feels the most in line with your style preference.
Frederick and Annette, Fred and Annie.
Harriet is all warrior queen to me, so I think it’s a great top choice for you. I don’t think Hattie & Freddie are too alike at all – when written there is a lovely pattern, but spoken, quite different.
I wonder if you could tweak Winifred to a similar sounding non-A-ending name like Gwendolyn or Gwyneth or Elowen? I especially love the sound of Frederick & Gwendolyn! So many nickname options for her – Gwen, Winnie, Dolly!
Would you consider Georgiana to give you the Georgia/Georgie and Annie options? I know it ends in A, but it strikes me as equally dusty and regal as Frederick.
Love the idea of Minnie for Clementine – or Cleo or Minty! (I know it’s a word technically but still love it.) And Phillipa nn Pippa is totally swoon-worthy with Freddie.
So many lovely options! Can’t wait to see what you choose. Good luck.
LOVE the suggestion of Gwendolyn or Gwyneth!
What about Georgann?
This is so close to my own naming style (I have a Harriet, nn Etta!) and I love so many of the names that have been suggested. We also considered Clementine, with the nn Cleo, also having felt meh about Clem/Clemmie.
Other ideas: Octavia (nn Tavi); Frances (nn Frankie); Vivan (nn Vivi, Viva).
I love Gwendolyn, already suggested, but also:
Vivian – Annie, Vivi, Ian
Louise – Lou, Lulu (it literally means warrior!)
Julianne – Julie, June, Annie
My favorite ideas are Freddie + Lulu and Freddie + June!
(And it’s too bad Fred and George is too much Harry Potter for you, because I think Hermione is a great idea for someone who likes Winifred! Haha)
I love Swistle’s suggestion of Philippa for you. But if Harriet doesn’t feel quite right, could Henrietta work? Or Susanna, which has the “familiar but uncommon” vibe and leads you to Annie as a nickname? None of these help you avoid the “ends in a” issue, but maybe the nickname potential makes up for that. And I’ll also toss in Hildegarde, which might be a little out there, but seems akin to Wilhelmina and leads you to Hildi/y/ie, which I love.
A family member has a Lu (Tallulah) or I’d be all over a Lou name! And there is no such thing as too much Harry Potter for my husband and he would happily name a daughter Hermione! He is tickled about the thought of a Fred and George.
Virginia! I know it ends with an a, but it sounds so strong.
I like Harriet, Beatrix, Imogen and Judith a lot.
Anthea is another unusual choice that would get you to Annie (or Thea). I know it violates the ends-in-a preference but the rarity might compensate!
I wanted to suggest Maeve as a literal warrior queen, but she breaks the no-repeating-initials rule… so instead I will add Emmeline and Alice in homage to suffragette queens (Pankhurst and Paul).
Good luck!
I was coming to suggest Beatrix! I love it with Frederick (that’s a sibset we nearly had!). I also adore Harriet nn Hattie. I don’t think Hattie and Freddie are close at all.
I did want to add that Freddie and Georgie do make me think of Harry Potter. It’s not a bad association! But if I met the mom of a Freddie and Georgie, I would probably make an appreciative comment like “aw! Your sweet little marauders!” However I don’t know how relevant Harry Potter is to your kids’ peers. My kids read Harry Potter but my first grader didn’t immediately leap to Harry Potter at the names Freddie and Georgie.
From your lists I love Helen/Nell and Harriet/Hattie as a sister for Frederick. I also like Swistle’s suggestion of Judith/Judy. There is a little girl at the school I work at named Judith and I find it so charming and cute on her.
My daughter is Annie and I just love the name – what about Susannah or Annette?
The other name that came to mine was Elizabeth with a less common nickname like Betty or Birdie.
What about Athena, the warrior goddess? Tailored, rare, so cool. Nickname could be Nina. I know it ends in “a” but it’s worth bending the rules a little.
Vivian and Analiese also came to mind.
Two longforms for Annie that sprang to mind were Anneliese (my preferred spelling of that name) and Annabel (which I think is rather tailored, again, given that spelling). Anne is also charming and warrior-queen-ish in its way. A lot of lady pirates, once you stop and sit with it for a moment.
I also wanted to suggest Marguerite! It was my surprise runner-up for my second daughter and it seemed like a more whimsical (aka your husband’s vibe) version of Margaret, from your list. (And oh, the nicknames. Ours would most likely have been a Maggie, but–Daisy! Swoon.)
From the your letter and the suggestions above, I don’t like Harriet very much (just a personal preference), but think Henriette is mildly preferable. I also think Beatrix/Beatrice and Phillipa are good options.
And I have a friend who also hates -a names for girls (not relatable content to me, who named my kids Anna and Cora and almost used Delia, Talia, Mara, Maya, etc….), and she went with Eleanor. (Although that may well be too popular for you by now.)
and oh lord, I have to mention that I feel you about Gertrude to a degree and will offer Shirley as my 1930s-girl-name-that-I-swear-is-going-to-come-back-and-won’t-your-Gertrude/Shirley-be-the-cool-one-who-was-named-that-first.
Here to support your love of Prudence. Can you just convince your husband that it would inspire her to make good decisions?
I tried my best! It reminds him of the Puritans.
Aside from the Fred-and-George issue, another thing about Georgia is that there’s a famous jazz song called “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Not necessarily a problem, but something I’d want to be aware of!
I think Frederick/Freddie and Harriet/Hattie sounds perfect! Or what about Faye as a first name? It repeats the initial, but the Freddie and Faye combo gives me heart eyes.
Other commenters have lots of good suggestions of long-form names to get to Annie; I also thought of Anastasia and Annika, but they do end in -a and might be too frilly for you. I also love the suggestion of Gwendolyn.
Ooh, or what about Matilda? I know, it starts with M *and* ends in -a, but she was an actual historical warrior queen! And Freddie and Tilly sound adorable together!
I always google the name we’re considering combined with Brown and there is nearly always something or someone out there to associate it with. The ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ connection doesn’t bother me. We briefly considered Hollis for our son and discovered the Bob Dylan song. That was a deal breaker!
Empress Matilda, briefly queen of England? Yeah, she was a helluva leader; if she’d been a boy everybody’d have been impressed by her kingliness. Stephan’s wife Matilda was no slouch either.
So close to my naming style! My youngest was almost Frederick. My girls’ first and middle names are all that same warrior queen vibe: Adeline, Margaret, Ceridwen, Beatrice, Esther, Louise.
I think Harriet/Hattie is perfect.
Here to recommend Esther as a warrior queen name. Nicknames could be Essie, Tess, Etta.
We share a last name! And our son’s name starts with an F too! I think we have similar name style.
1- I think Harriet (Hattie) is GREAT!
2 – Beatrix/Beatrice (Bea) – love love this one!
Others from my list:
Sybil
Estelle
Gwyneth (Gwyn/Gwen)
Delphine
I also have Katherine (Kit) on my list – I love Kit, but personally worry about the other much more common nicknames with our popular last name.
Good luck!
Harriet Faye nn Hattie is fabulous and I think you could stop there, but ….. Pippa! I also really like Imogen, Sybil nn Billie or Sybbie and Aurelia.
I love Helen/Nell!
Some other ideas:
Lois
Lillian
Valerie
Vivian
Diane (nickname Annie?)
Georgette (alternative to Georgia)
I think Harriet is a good choice, but your whole in-common list is good. My cousin has a 12-year-old Annabelle called Annie. Would you like that? My feeling is style outliers probably don’t matter as much for your last child, as there are no future kids’ names to clash with, and Freddie and Junie are cute together.
Lois, Iris, Joan, or Eve come to mind as very tailored names that you could add nicknames to (Evie, Joanie, Loie, Rissie)
I think Harriet is the best fit for your tastes and I love the nickname Hattie!
I would also throw out Elizabeth, nn Betsy!
I have an Eleanor called Nell/Nellie if you like that better than Helen
I was just going to suggest Eleanor with potential nicknames Nell/Ellie/Nora!
I like Eleanor a lot but our friends already used it!
Genevieve! which though long and smooth doesn’t sound frilly or whimsical to my ear, plus lots of nickname options (Genny, Eve/Evie, Viv, etc).
Since you don’t shy away from hard Gs, I’ll also toss in Agnes, the name of my 94 year-old firecracker great aunt who is also sister to a Frederick/Fred.
I was hopping on here to suggest Genevieve, too! I recently met a Genevieve nicknamed Vivi and was super charmed by it.
Oh Vivi is adorable! We considered Genevieve but were concerned she would go by Gen/Genny.
Lots of wonderful suggestions by Swistle and commenters! I’m definitely mulling over Philippa/Pippa again. My thought was it would sound like the start of a sentence “Fill up a brown___.” Is that over-thinking or does anyone else think of that? I also love Imogen and Persephone and haven’t considered Minnie as a nickname for Clementine! Both M and I LOVE Henrietta which several have suggested and it might have been THE NAME if my niece, who we are very close to wasn’t named Etta. A lot of ‘ette’ ending names feel out of the running as a result and I even hesitated at first about Harriet, thinking it may be too similar. Also a family member recently had a daughter and named her Tallulah nn. Lu so Lou names feel out as well.
It does kinda sound like “Fill up a brown——“ now that you mention it. But if you mostly call her Pippa, maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Well you and your husband, together and separate, have amazing naming style. I pretty much love everything, although Beatrix and Violet are my favorites from the lists.
I wonder if Dorothy (or Dorothea) would work? So many nicknames (Dora, Dori, Dottie, Thea). Or Felicity? Flossie, Fliss, or even Faye maybe?
Pippa for the win! Fred and Pip!
I like Harriet! But here are a few more to consider.
Vivian
Esther
Gwendolyn (Freddie and Gwen sounds great to me)
Caroline
Eloise
Elowyn (Ellie? Winnie?)
Samantha (breaks the “-a ending” rule, but I think it sounds nice with your last name)
Could you do Hannah nicknamed Annie? I know Hannah breaks the -a sound rule but it doesn’t seem like a typical-a name to me. I love the suggestion of Gretchen. What about Bridget nn Birdie or Bridee?
Annelise (am I spelling this right?) Ah-nah-lease
nickname Annie.
Anne Frank’s full name was Annelise, and she’s definitely a strong, brave warrior!
Margaret. Lots of nickname possibilities: Meg, Maggie, Greta, Maisy
Frederick and Margaret. Freddie and Meg
Husband here. My wife absolutely loves the name Margaret, but it’s my stepdad’s ex-wife’s name, and I know that it would be really tough for him. Plus the repeated initial rule. But definitely a great name!
My favorite from your lists is Juniper nickname Junie. I just love it!
My suggestion- I love the nickname Hannie. It’s like a combo of Hattie and Annie! It could be short for Hannah or Johanna, or to avoid an a ending, short for Hannelore.
Husband here. Hannie is a lovely nn. but unfortunately we already have Hannah’s and Johanna’s in the family, and we’re trying to avoid repeated names.
Juniper is a long time favorite.
I love Harriet!!!
Since you have Harriet and Georgia, have you thought about Georgette (nn Georgie or Ettie or Etta or Jet)
I’m also going to ditto Gretchen and throw my own name in the mix: Elizabeth. SO MANY NICKNAMES.
It’s the husband here. Georgette is an interesting suggestion, but I can’t really think about it without thinking about George Foreman, who named a bunch of his sons George and his daughters Georgette. Then, that makes me think maybe we should just throw caution to the wind and name her Winifred, and just have two Freds around the house? Lots to think about.
I love Philippa NN Pippa for you!
Two other suggestions also came to mind:
Georgiana, with the nicknames Georgie and Annie (maybe it would feel less southern to you than Georgia + paired with Frederick it has a charming Jane Austen quality, if that appeals to you)
And
Cassandra. I know it ends in -a, but I feel like it nicely hits the balance of strong & not frilly like you want, but also feminine and somewhat whimsical like your husband wants. Nicknames could be Cass/ Cassie or even Annie.
I would also suggest Eleanor (I know a sibset named Elinor and Frederik), but I saw that your friends already used it.
I have a Frederick! His sister is Alice. Others on our short list were mentioned by many already or on your short lists: Sybil, Evelyn, Dorothea, Margaret, Violet. With your love of Gertrude I think Frankish Queen inspo might be the way to go. Clothilde? Isidore? Gisla? There are still ends in a names that don’t read twirly girly.
My short list was very close to yours – Beatrix, Georgia, etc. We ended up naming our daughter Josephine. It has gone up the rankings since we named her seven years ago. She has not once met someone in her age group with the name. I’m shocked given its ranking. This is anecdotal, but thought it might help. She has met people who have aunts /grandmothers with the name and even college kids, but not a single one near her age. I have a very common 80s name and I was insistent the name be more unique. Josie LOVEs when she meets another Josie/Josephine.
I wonder you might like the name Annora, it is apparently a variation of Honora. If you google Appellation Mountain and the name, you’ll find a write up on it. I love that it gets you to Annie. Frederick and Annora.
I really like Harriet/Hattie. My only concern, since you mentioned you want to be original/unique, is that Hattie may blend into the Addie/Maddy crowd.
Husband here. Josephine is such a great name, and we’ve loved the nn. Josie for so long. Do you pronounce it Jo-z-ephine or Jo-s-ephine? That’s a point of contention for us. (I fall firmly in the “z” camp, my wife in the “s” camp)
Hadn’t thought about the nn. Hattie blending into the Addies/Maddys out there but definitely something to consider. Can’t really think of any other nn. for Harriet though.
Like Joseph. Jo-se-feen. “S” sound. But the nickname Josie is the “z” sound: Jo-zee.
I know a kiddo named Josephine Br@wn nn Josie and I think it’s great!! She’s an awesome kid and it’s a strong name.
Harriet/Hattie! I’m partial to it, as I have a Harriet/Hattie myself. I also have a Georgia and a Fae, so we have very similar taste. You can’t go wrong with any of your choices!
I have a Frederick/Freddie, and if he’d been a girl, he would have been Wilhelmina/Mina! I also LOVE Beatrice (Baby Bea! With a honey bee themed nursery! SWOON) and Helen! So. We have some style overlap! The other girl names on my list that you might like include: Diana, Blythe, Joan (JOANIE! Heart-eyes!), Florence, Rosalind or Rosamund (nn Rosie), Sylvia, Celeste, Camille, Claudia, Vivian, and Irene
Husband here. Appreciate the support for Wilhelmina! Celeste, Camille and Vivian have definitely been discussed, too. Names like Rosamund are tough, because it’s really pretty but like do you pronounce it R-ah-samund or R-oh-samund? Baby girl doesn’t need that kind of stress in her life. Plus it breaks the repeated initial rule.
I don’t have time to read the comments right now so sorry for double-ups.
I know a Frederick whose sister is Annabelle which gives you Annie.
It does end in a but would you consider Philomena? If not Hildegarde goes beautifully with Wilhelmina and Frederick. Harriet always makes me want to fight for Henrietta.
Is it time for Adelheid to come back? Love, love Heidi and it does so nicely with Frederick.
Geraldine? Close to Georgia but not.
Hi, it’s the husband here. Hildegarde is definitely one I’d be on board with. I think our concern would be that it’s a bit too rare and she would constantly have to spell it for people. Henrietta is a grand slam, but our niece is Etta, and that would be a bit to close. I hadn’t thought about Heidi, but that’s very pretty. Great suggestions!
You mentioned how much you love Annie but are struggling to find a longer form you like. Our daughter’s name is Annie, and we ended up going with just the nickname since that’s what we truly loved… But for a long time, the plan was to name her Anneline (ann-uh-line) and call her Annie. It’s a rare name, but not without precedent, and I think it’s gorgeous. It ultimately wasn’t for us, but maybe it’s for you?
Since you’re looking for a name in the Anne family, I thought of Nancy – which came to mind with your last name since I once knew a Nancy with the last name Brown who was really nice. Although Nancy is regarded as dated by many, I think it will start upticking within the next decade or two (especially since it’s in the Top 100 in the UK, and often times a name trend on one side of the pond will take hold on the other in a few years – there’s also the “Fancy Nancy” character).
This is one of my favorite posts I’ve read here. SO MANY good names, and I love the fact that both parents are commenting!
I love Harriet/Hattie. Gertrude is AMAZING, and so is Beatrice. I love Wilhelmina, nn Willa. I love the Dad’s comment that they should just throw caution to the wind and go with Winifred. Two little Freddies running around. <3 (But if you DO love Winifred, you could probably get away with calling her Winnie.)
Regarding Josephine, I pronounce the full name with an S sound, but Josie with a Z sound. I don't think it would be a deal-breaker if you pronounce them differently, as long as neither of you actively dislikes the other pronunciation.
I wish Henrietta weren't out of the running, would you be able to get away with it if you called her Henny/Hennie?
Philippa is great too, I don't have a problem with the last name Brown.
This doesn't help narrow down your choices at all, but the good news is you can't go wrong with any of your choices!
I think Guinevere called Winnie is the solution – strong name, classic, uncommon, no repeat initials, uses your favorite nickname! Or Edwina, if you can excuse the -a ending.
Other suggestions:
Adelaide, called Dell or Lady
Agatha, called Aggie
Edith, called Edie
Theodora, called Thea/Theo or Dora/Dory
Wildcard – Minerva! I know, it breaks the initials rule and the -a preference but has nickname Minnie, a super positive Harry Potter connection AND is the goddess of wisdom. Can’t get a stronger girls name than that!
I have a Frederick(Freddie) and his sister is Annika (Annie)
I also love Clementine
…. and Stephanie (but perhaps that’s too “girly”) can get you an Annie, too
I’d vote that Fred and Georgia is a bit too close to Harry Potter. If you had two kids called, for example, Mary and Pippin, I’d immediately think you were a LOTR fan. If they were flipped to like, George and Winifred called Freddie, I wouldn’t jump to the same conclusion, but you went with Freddie first so it’s stuck in my mind. =)
Hi Rachel – hope I’m not too late to comment!
My oldest is Georgia, and we have always called her Gigi. I wonder if that might be a compromise nickname for your feminine-loving hubby? It also avoids your Freddie/Georgie issue.
On a side note – my daughter is almost 13, and in all these years we’ve met exactly 1 other Georgia (ironically, happens to be her best friend – they connected over the name) and only 1 Gigi (a Genevieve, whose nickname was inspired by my daughter). So it’s pretty unique!