I came across your site while researching baby names and thought I'd reach out for help. Our second daughter is due on May 14 and we still can't decide on a name. We have a lot of names that we like, but none that we love or totally agree on, and we're running out of time! Our daughter's name is Alexandra Kathleen. We call her Alex (and sometimes Allie). We want something that sounds nice/flows with Alex, although it doesn't have to be too similar. Our last name sounds like Florio. Our finalists are:
1. Catherine Elizabeth (Cate) (I like the way this sounds with Alex, but not sure if Catherine is too close to Alex's middle name)
2. Grace Elizabeth (Gracie) (We both like this name a lot, but is the style too different from Alex?)
3. Ella Margaret (I love this but my husband isn't wild about it and I'm worried about popularity)
4. Emilia Margaret (Emmie) (I love this but my husband is not sold)
5. Lindsay Margaret (my husband loves this but I'm not sold)
6. Margaret Grace (Molly or Maggie) (Margaret is a family name. My husband loves it. I don't love it on its own but like the nicknames. We've also considered doing Molly on its own.)
My husband is very picky. He doesn't like anything that sounds too trendy or too old fashioned. (Very frustrating!) Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!
I think that of your finalists, Cate, Molly, and Maggie are best with Alex.
Some more possibilities from the space between "too trendy" and "too old-fashioned":
Bethany
Bridget
Cassidy
Clarissa
Claudia
Elise
Gabrielle
Genevieve
Jessamine
Jillian
Jocelyn
Julianna
Liana
Marissa
Sabrina
Samantha
Tessa
Veronica
Victoria
Zoe
Because long feminine Alexandra is so different from short boyish Alex, and because it would be nice if a sister name would fit with both, I'm most drawn to the names on my list that have short nicknames, either boyish or sassy: Cassidy (Cass), Gabrielle (Gabby, Bree), Genevieve (Evie), Jessamine (Jess), Jocelyn (Joss), Sabrina (Bree), Samantha (Sam), Veronica (Nic), Victoria (Tori).
I'm also inclined toward Zoe. Zoe is a name that to me is both feminine and boyish, and although it doesn't seem as if a three-letter name would need a nickname, it's still two syllables and the nickname Zo adds even more sass. I like the way there's a Z sound in both Alexandra and Zoe. Plus, I admit I like the A-to-Z thing.
From my list, I think the best fit is Samantha. Alexandra and Samantha, Alex and Sam---it's just about the best sister set ever. Both are long feminine names with short boyish nicknames, and I love Samantha with your surname. I think I would do Samantha Margaret: Alexandra Kathleen and Samantha Margaret.
I also like Veronica with the nickname Nic or Nicki: Alexandra and Samantha, Alex and Nic.
And it's hard to beat Genevieve for beauty and sass: Alexandra and Genevieve, Alex and Evie.
