K. writes:<\/p>\n
I am currently 38 weeks pregnant, so we are running out of time to settle on names. After many weeks of obsessively poring over baby name blogs\/lists\/books I finally thought we’d managed to settle on at least a girl’s name (we don’t actually know the gender of the baby yet).<\/p>\n
However, my DH has just pointed out that with our last name beginning with L. our choice of Evie becomes Evie L. We’re worried this sounds a bit too much like Evil. What do you and your readers think? An alternative, Eve, is even worse (and I find it a bit too much on the religious side), and we don’t like the Evelyn\/Eva options. The nickname Evie is what it would go by anyway, so the issue really is the Evie L.\/Evil connection.<\/p>\n
Some further information, in case anyone wants to make additional suggestions: our last name is two syllables and ends in an ‘ee’ sound. (Note: The combination of first and last name both having ‘ee’ sounds doesn’t really bother me, for the right name.) Our first child is a little boy called Felix. We think this next baby will be our last.<\/p>\n
Some other names that have been finalists for a girl include Sylvie (currently thinking this is too similar to Sophie, the name of a close cousin; and starting to sound a bit too much on the grandma side to me), Grace (currently sounding a bit too ordinary\/plain; would go by Gracie). A couple of loved, but rejected names, include Esme (love this name, but would probably want to shorten it – can’t think of a nickname I like, and can think of some potential nicknames I don’t like e.g. Essy\/Ezzy\/May), Camille (pronunciation issues, and runs into our L. last name) and Lyra (doesn’t flow well with our last name).<\/p>\n
We’re not really set with a boys name either (sigh). A few potential finalists include Finn (a bit too popular? Finnan is a potential longer name that could be ok, but opens up spelling issues; also, both siblings would start with ‘F’), Oscar (don’t like the nickname Ossy; the Odd Couple association is slightly annoying as well – i.e. Felix and Oscar siblings), Archer (DH not real keen), August (on the list with our previous child, but gone off it lately), Sidney (DH not keen on link with the city – we live in Australia, though not in Sydney), Luca\/Lucas (Luca sounding a bit feminine to me; Lucas may be a bit too ordinary, and the s sound runs into the L of our last name in a bad way; L names with our last name sound a bit super-heroish to me i.e. like Lex Luther).<\/p>\n
As far as name styles go, we tend to like names that are slightly unusual\/old-fashioned, but not unheard of. For girls we like feminine sounding names, and unisex names are out for either gender. For boys, we like masculine names, but not too tough sounding. I also seem to have a particular liking for ‘ie’ endings for girls, and I generally don’t like names ending in ‘a’ e.g. Sylvia, Sophia, Eva, although there are exceptions e.g. Lyra, Greta (Greta was rejected by me as we know someone in a town we used to live in who has both a Felix and a Greta; also, DH not keen on Greta in general). We will give the child a middle name as well, but for now I just want to have a first name to work with!<\/p>\n
Sigh, this has been a long letter, but we’re really struggling here with names and I could do with all the help I can get!<\/p>\n
Thank you!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nAfter thinking it over for awhile, my own opinion is that Eve L. would be a deal-breaker, but that Evie L. is okay. I think we should have a poll over to the right to see what everyone else thinks. [Poll closed; see results below.]<\/p>\nHowever, it would sit even better with me if Evie were the nickname rather than the given name. One Evie-nickname that doesn’t start with Ev- is Genevieve. I love it with Felix, too: Felix and Genevieve.<\/p>\n
Another is Geneva. Felix and Geneva.<\/p>\n
The spelling Silvie may make the name Sylvie seem more youthful. It doesn’t seem too close to Sophie to me; for sisters, yes, but not for cousins.<\/p>\n
Without a surname to work with, it’s difficult to think of brother names for Felix. I’d suggest Milo and Leo, for example, but those are likely a problem with the L in the surname. Or maybe not, since the L in Felix is okay.<\/p>\n
Simon might work. I like Felix and Simon together, and it continues to work well if things change and you have a little Evie later on.<\/p>\n