Southern Girl Names!

[wesleyhallparker]

Hi there - we're expecting our first child. We're sorted on boy's names - but the girl's names have proved a bit tricky.

My husband and I live in San Francisco - but I'm Southern, with roots in Mississippi, Virginia, and Louisiana. And I come from a long family tradition of giving girls' "Southern" names - which usually means either ultra-feminine OR very a tomboyish surname. (I have a boy's name myself, and female cousins named Carter, Peyton and Emerson). Then there's the whole Greek revival faction - I even had a Great Great Aunt Clytie (as in Clytemnestra!).

So! Help me honor my baby's Southern roots without ending up with a too-obvious Scarlett or Flannery, or a too-country Bettysue :)

I want something creative without being TOO crazy, literary would be great too.

Some current favorites:
Fontaine
Clementine (is this getting too "done" among the hipster set?)
Cleo
Lucy (grandmother's name, and I've loved it since I was a kid - but is it too common now?)
Jane (my mother's name, but it could use more kick?)
Ella (other grandmother's name - but TOO popular and already taken by a cousin's child)

Also - 4 candidates for middle names (we usually use family surnames as middles) are:
Holladay (yep, that's the spelling)
Meriwether (is this too Lord of the Rings? It really is a family name, but...don't want to make ppl think of Hobbits)
Robinson
Land

Our last name is "Parker" btw.

Thanks for your help and opinions!

[ayann]

My husband is from Louisville, so I get the whole name issue. I immediately think of Beatrice/Beatrix. I love this name and think that it fits what you are looking for. I like Lucy, but maybe give it flare with Lucianna. I also think that Clementine is great and not too overused! Other suggestions are Constance, Gwyneth and Shea. Good luck with the middle names!

[cora]

From your list, Clementine, Lucy, and Cleo are my favorites. (A poster once suggested Cleo as a nickname for Clementine, and I think it's great!) Yes, Lucy is popular, and Clementine may be getting there (but I love both)!


I really like:
Clementine Holladay
Cleo Meriwether
Lucy Meriwether or Holiday

More ideas that feel Southern to me:

Adeline
Adelia
Clover
Cordelia/Cora
Daisy
Delilah
Harper
Mae
Maisie
Mabel
Polly
Ruby
Susannah
Willa

Good luck! :-)

Edited: I missed the part about your last name being Parker, so ignore Clover and Harper.

[wesleyhallparker]

Thanks ayann and jill! I love all your suggestions... Adeline is one of my faves, though my husband veto'd - and Beatrix/Beatrice was a name we BOTH loved. (Shakespeare and Dante!) But then we thought "Beatrix Parker...uh oh, is that too much like Beatrix Potter?"

Maybe we're overthinking it. Curious what you guys think about the "sounds like" issue.

For a boy - we're pretty much settled on Charles Ashton Parker (Ashton is a family name on my husband's side that all first born sons get - not for the actor, lol!). But we also just realized...we'd accidentally picked "Charlie Parker" so the kid would be named after the jazz legend! We're not sure if we think it's cool - or if that's just an awful thing to do to a baby. We're sort of hoping that since he's not the most mainstream celebrity, that it won't be too obnoxious.

[cora]

Beatrix/Beatrice is one of my all-time favorite names, but it doesn't have a Southern feel to me. (It's British to me....)

I do think Beatrix Parker is really close to Beatrix Potter (Darn!), so if that bothers you, I'd go with another name. (Beatrice Parker, on the other hand, doesn't remind me as much of Beatrix Potter.)

I think Clementine Holladay Parker (nn Cleo?) is so pretty! :-) I missed the part about your last name being Parker, so I'd personally skip Meriwether as a middle name (too much -er action).

For some reason, the Charles Parker issue doesn't bother me. I'm sure you'll get some "Oh! Like the famous Charlie Parker?" comments, so if that's going to annoy you, maybe you could keep looking for first names. Charles could always go in the middle if need be.

Some more Shakespearean names that have somewhat of a Southern feel:

Rosaline Parker
Viola Parker
Celia Parker
Miranda Parker

Good luck! :-)

[cora]

Add to the above: I totally forgot about Jane! I love Jane's elegance and simplicity.

What about Clementine Jane? I think Jane works well in the middle with so many of your names, including Lucy and Cleo.

Good luck! :-)

[susan]

I wrote a long post in response to your thread hours ago, but it is missing. Somehow it didn't get posted. Frustrating! I will try again tomorrow.
My favorite of all your names is Lucy Clementine.

[cora]

I love Susan's Lucy Clementine suggestion! Fantastic! :-)

[babyberry]

I love the name Lucy and it's a bonus for you being a family name!!

****Lucy Beatrix Parker adorable.
**Lucy Carolina Parker sounds southern
**Lucy GEORGIA Parker
***Lucy Handley Parker
**Lucy Claretta Parker
***Lucy Stella Parker

Good Luck, but love the name Lucy you can't go wronge with that one : )

[babyberry]

I love the name Lucy and it's a bonus for you being a family name!!

****Lucy Beatrix Parker adorable.
**Lucy Carolina Parker sounds southern
**Lucy GEORGIA Parker
***Lucy Handley Parker


also love Lucy Ella Parker
**Lucy Claretta Parker
***Lucy Stella Parker

Good Luck, but love the name Lucy you can't go wronge with that one : )