We are due in mid-August with our 2nd daughter (70% chance it's a girl). We would absolutely love your opinion on our names as we simply can't decide. Our last name is like BICK - CAR, but with a P instead of a B. We love traditional/biblical names. Our daughters name is Evelyn Grace.
Because my name is Emily we are trying to stay away from names that begin with E (Eloise, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Esme, & Elsa are just a few that we love that we have to rule out). We also love Vivian but we think the "v's" may be too hard to pronounce with Evelyn. Clara was on the list until we paired it with our last name!
Our list so far is:
Cecelia (so far, our favorite)
Lucille
Margaret (not my husbands favorite)
Anna (too common)
Olivia (my husbands favorite, I think it's too common)
Audrey
Beatrix (not my husbands favorite)
Josephine
Louisa
Julia (not my husbands favorite)
Maria
We really like names that we can shorten with a cute nickname. If it's a boy our name list so far is William & Ian.
We would love your opinion and/or any other names that you think we'd like. Thanks!!!
I like Louisa a lot. It's wonderful with Evelyn, and it makes me think pleasantly of Louisa May Alcott. In fact, May would be a great middle name: Louisa May Bick-car. And cute nicknames: Lou, Lulu, Weezie. There's also Heloise, although Hints From Heloise makes for me not a negative association but a STRONG one.
If you like Eleanor but want to avoid E names, I suggest Nora. It reminds me a little of Clara, too. Another Eleanor-related possibility is Lena---though maybe it sounds too much like Evelyn. Another is Lenora, which then give you nicknames Nora or Leni. Oooh, or another is HELEN! I love the name Helen and think it's dramatically underused. Helen Bick-car, Evelyn and Helen---oh, it's rhymey, isn't it? Shoot. And no good nicknames, either.
For Elizabeth, other possibilities are Lisette, Lilibet, Lisabet, Lisbeth---though I like Elizabeth so much more, it would be hard for me to choose one of the substitutes.
I like Cecily even better than Cecilia, I think because my parents had a Simon & Garfunkel record (RECORD!!) that makes me immediately go "Ce-CEEEEEEEEEEEL-ya!" every time I see the name. Like how it's almost impossible not to start singing "Oh my darling..." whenever I see the name Clementine. I also love the name Celeste. Celeste Bick-car, Evelyn and Celeste. No good nickname, though.
Because you like the names Evelyn and Eleanor and Lucille and Maria, I want to suggest the name Marian. I think it's so beautiful, but it's lagging behind the other, similar names, so it's hard to hear it as anything but an old-lady name. MARE-ree-in! So pretty! Makes me think of Maid Marian, and also of Marian the Librarian, romantic lead in the movie The Music Man. Marian Bick-car, Evelyn and Marian.
Another "name I like but it's lagging so it's hard to hear it yet" name is Florence. It's a beautiful place name; it sounds like flowers; it has the sweetest nickname Florrie; it's wonderful with your surname and with the name Evelyn.
Along similar lines, the name Millicent. Beautiful sound, if we can separate it from the old-lady associations---light and pronounced in the front of the mouth, almost like Olivia. Adorable nickname Milly. This is my favorite choice for you, in fact: Millicent Bick-car, Evelyn and Millicent.
Or there's Alice: Alice Bick-car, Evelyn and Alice.
Or Frances: Frances Bick-car, Evelyn and Frances. Cute nicknames: Frannie, Frankie, Francie.
Or Sylvia, which I would spell Silvia: Silvia Bick-car, Evelyn and Silvia. Nickname Silvie. This is another one that's almost like Olivia.
Or Ruth: Ruth Bick-car, Evelyn and Ruth, nickname Ruthie or Ru.
I suppose we should also discuss boy names, since 70% isn't even halfway between 50-50 and 100%. But I like William and Ian both very much and so feel disinclined to coax you away from them!
Name update! Emily writes:
We named her Cecelia Elizabeth Pickar! I hope you like it!
