I feel bad sending this email as I know you must be busy, however I’m so clueless after months of fighting it I’ve given in and decided to ask for help with our little girls name.
We’re expecting our first little girl in April, and as exited as we are about her she has been the hardest to name so far. Our other two are Oswald Jude ‘Ozzy’ and Reuben Hugh ‘Reu’, their names were so easy to decide but now we can’t even settle on something while I’m 8 months pregnant!
The List I liked, but he vetoed…
Hermione
Sarah-Kate
Caroline
Scarlett
MatildaThe Names he liked, I said no to…
Alice
Clara
Mercedes
Simone
StoryThe only name we both can agree of right now is Liliana, but neither of us truly love it to the point we want to use it! As we’re both quite firm in her middle name being Lavender!
We had a boys name all set out (William Atlas Bailey) but we’re expecting a girl so it’s no use. We’re saying this is our last, but we’ve said that after every baby so it’s not guaranteed!Thank you so much for your consideration!
Em x
I notice the repeated sounds in the other two children’s names: oswalD juDe and then reUben hUgh. I wonder if it would be at all fun, just as a little game or exercise, to see if we can find a first name for your daughter that repeats one or more of the sounds from her middle name Lavender.
Ada Lavender
Adelaide Lavender
Aveline Lavender
Belinda Lavender
Claudia Lavender
Cordelia Lavender
Danica Lavender
Eleanor Lavender
Eliza Lavender
Elodie Lavender
Eve Lavender
Even Lavender
Evelina Lavender
Esther Lavender
Flannery Lavender
Florence Lavender
Geneva Lavender
Genevieve Lavender
Gwendolyn Lavender
Landry Lavender
Larissa Lavender
Linnea Lavender
Lois Lavender
Louisa Lavender
Lydia Lavender
Maeve Lavender
Marilla Lavender
Melody Lavender
Minerva Lavender
Miranda Lavender
Nadia Lavender
Sylvia Lavender
Valentina Lavender
Vera Lavender
Verity Lavender
Veronica Lavender
Victoria Lavender
Vivian Lavender
If I could ask each of you to reconsider a veto, I’d ask you to reconsider Clara, and I’d ask your husband to reconsider Matilda. Clara Lavender! Matilda Lavender!
Name update:
Thank you so much for these suggestions! They definitely have not gone unappreciated, as for our baby girl she was born on March 22nd. She weighed 7lbs 1oz and was born at 36+6, and she’s such a healthy baby girl. Ozzy and Reu are really exited to now have their baby sister. You gave us some really gorgeous suggestions and from your gorgeous list we found a name we both really love, our sweet baby girl Elodie Lavender has been born.
Thank you so much we all really appreciate it!
Em x
What about Wilhelmina, instead of William? I think it has some of the sass of the names off your list, and sophistication off his list. Goes great with the sibling set, and lots of cute nickname. Ozzy Rue, and Willie. And I like Wilhelmina Lavender too, yes it’s a lot of syllables, but I think it works.
if you liked William, what about Willa?
Lavinia popped into my head. Lavender could also be a lovely first name! Good luck!
If William was your choice for a boy, what about Willa or Willow? Willow Lavender might be too botanical but I love Willa! I also love hyphenated names, and Sarah-Charlotte was a character from a book I read in middle school. I also just love Sarah Lavender!
S names or M names might be your crossover? And M would be a bonus honour for you – mom Em! Here are some that feel tailored like Sarah-Kate / Scarlet / Mercedes and artsy like Simone / Story / Matilda (IMO)
Sabine
Sienna
Sheridan
Salem
Magalie
Meredith
Marlowe
Meadow (I know Meadow Lavender might be too much, but I love Meadow for you)
I LOVE that you’re putting Lavender in the middle.
I love Eve Lavender and Vera Lavender for you.
Other Ideas:
Dorothy Lavender
Colette Lavender
Zelie Lavender
Sylvie Lavender
Frances Lavender
Ida Lavender
Agnes Lavender
Miriam Lavender
Celia Lavender
Ruth Lavender
Just thought of another one I love:
Martha Lavender!
Or…
Helen Lavender
Gwendolyn Lavender
Dorian Lavender
Bess Lavender
Maris Lavender
Rina Lavender
Gwendolyn Lavender. I am not sure if I think it fits your style…some of your names are on the adventurous/literary side, but not all of them. But its my favorite way to getting the repeating sounds effect Swistle suggested, and Ozzy, Reu, and Gwen makes a great sibset.
It’s hard because you don’t say what you like about the names you like. But if I were just throwing things out…would you like Irene instead of Alice? Martha instead of Matilda? Lucia instead of Clara? Inez instead of Mercedes?
A couple of things about Liliana that you probably already know, but just in case…
If she goes by Lily, she will be Lily Lavender, which is very floral.
It’s pretty popular, at least with 11 year old girls where I live. Compared to Oswald and Reuben, it seems a lot more mainstream.
Millicent!!
Millicent Lavender
Millicent Bailey
Millicent Lavender Bailey
Oswald, Reuben & Millicent
Ozzy, Reu & Millie
Amazing!
Yes this is perfect!
Lenora Lavender
Lorelei Lavender
Althea Lavender
Matilda was the one that jumped out at me from your lists as perfect for a little girl to join Ozzy and Rue. Tilly or Mattie as a nickname is adorable.
Linnaea was a name that came to mind that probably won’t work with Lavender, but that I love.
Veronica Lavander
Petra Lavander
Fiona Lavander
Phoebe Lavander
Winifred Lavender nn Winnie
Here are some names that pick up sounds from Lavender, sometimes just a letter. If I could think of a snappy nickname, I provided one.
Alexandra Lavender. Ozzy, Reu, and Xandra
Elizabeth Lavender. Ozzy, Reu and Eliza
Elspeth Lavender. Ozzy, Rue, and Elsie
Deirdre Lavender
Lily Lavender (if you don’t mind alliteration and them both being floral)
Naomi Lavender. Ozzy, Reu, and Mimi
Rhiannon Lavender
Violet Lavender (another double floral name, also both colors, so I almost didn’t suggest, but I like the sound of it). Ozzy, Reu, and Vi
Daphne. Daphne Lavender.
Ozzy, Reu, and Daf
Ramona Lavender? She’d share a name with one of the most famous characters in children’s literature, just like if you named her Hermione or Matilda, but also similar sound to Simone.
excellent!
Before seeing Swistle’s list, I also thought of Sylvia or Sylvie.
The double-V with Lavendar is very pleasing.
Sylvia Lavender
Silvana Lavender
Valerie Lavender
Evelyn Lavender
Evangeline Lavender
I will throw out Susannah with the nickname of Sunny.
First, I would like to second Sarah Lavender. It’s a beautiful name that strikes just the right notes!
Next, I’d like to explore the one name you agree on…Liliana. Liliana is a bit long with Lavendar. Perhaps you will like shorter versions on the name.
Lillian Lavender
Liana Lavender
Leah Lavender
Anne Lavender
Anya Lavender
Iliana Lavender
Eliana Lavender
I love classic, elegant names with the surprisingly sweet middle name you have chosen. So, my favorites are Sarah Lavender and Leah Lavender.
Congratulations on your baby girl. Happy naming!
Is it time for Valerie to come back?
Valerie Lavender
I would call her Vee :)
Venetia Lavender
Frederica Lavender
Matilda and Lavender are two of the main characters in the novel and movies Matilda so that sort of gives me pause, but if those things don’t impact you than it’s cute! I like Melinda Lavender as an alternative!
Me thinking “Willa, Winnie, Winnifred, Wendy!” and coming to the comments to see many others had similar ideas.
Also strong agree to reconsider Clara and Matilda for the short list.
I love Vera Lavender, esp. with the sibset
Liliana is lovely, but Liliana Lavender sounds very twee to me. I’d also avoid anything that’s also a word (eg Adelaide Lavender).
Willa was my first thought. Willa Lavender.
Eloise/ Eloisa Lavender
Vera Lavender
Thea Lavender
Margot Lavender
Adele Lavender
Tess/ Tessa Lavender
Elise Lavender
Zoe Lavender
Meredith Lavender (Ozzy, Reu & Merry!!)
Daphne Lavender
Phoebe Lavender
Willa-Kate Lavender
Reading Swistle’s list, Elodie Lavender jumped out at me as a stunner. Great rhythm, lovely mix of sounds, and goes beautifully with the sibling names. Oswald, Reuben and Elodie; Ozzy, Reu and Elle.
Lydia, Lillian, Verity and Vivian share that springing rhythm when paired with Lavender.
Others that have that rhythm, some of which also include repeating sounds:
Jessamy Lavender
Katherine Lavender
Gillian Lavender
Amity Lavender
Thessaly Lavender
Ursula Lavender (-la La- maybe not ideal)
Harriet Lavender – Ozzie, Reu and Hattie
Matilda Lavender is adorable! My first thought is the book Matilda (by Roald Dahl), where Matilda’s best friend is named Lavender. Still super cute, and not a bad association, though.
I would like to suggest Ylva Lavender (pronounced IL-va) because it has a great rhythm, the repeating v sound and goes great with the brother‘s names: Oswald, Reuben and Ylva. It is also a bit uncommon like these names. It is a Scandinavian name meaning „wolf“ and I like the contrast between that and the sweet middle name Lavender. Ylvi would be a nickname option and Alva might be an alternative.