Georgiana and Susanna are...

[plum and peridot]

What are your impressions of these names?

Georgiana vs Susanna (Katharine is hanging in there, too)

Which do you prefer and why? Is Georgiana too "over the top" for an ordinary family (read: non-aristocratic family without trust funds and polo ponies)? Is Susanna(h) forever with a banjo on her knee or are they equally refreshing?

Does Katharine (Kate) blow them both out of the water?

Our shortlist:

Susanna Elspeth Katharine

Katharine Georgiana Elise

Georgiana Isla Katharine

Thanks, berries!

[ljandrl]

I like both Susanna and Georgiana a lot, Katherine is a little boring to me.

How are you pronouncing Georgiana? jorge-ee-AH-na, or jor-JANE-uh. I like both, but slightly prefer jor-JANE-uh. If you'reusing jor-JANE-uh, then I really can't choose, but if it's jorge-ee-AH-na, I think I'd pick Susanna which sounds a little lighter, fresher and less fussy to me.

Both are lovely though, good luck

[plum and peridot]

thanks for your response, I was hoping you would chime in!

While I love the pronunciation of Georgiana with JANE, I don't know if it would fly in real life. We tried to pass this off on my English mother-in-law and was met with much confusion... "George-WHAT? WHO? WHAT? George-JANE-ah? Noooo... you mean George-anne-ah, surely, etc. etc. etc. blah, blah" So that would be an uphill battle. But I still love it.

I am suspecting the most readily accepted pronunciation may be George-ANN-ah (forgive emphasis if it is in wrong place).

I am a bit spooked by Susanna because of the banjo song, but my husband tells me it is lovely. Both are family names.

Katharine bores me a tiny, tiny bit, too, but I am worried that Georgiana may be a bit much while Katharine is safe and mainstream and that in itself isn't a terrible thing... if that makes any sense. :-)

Otherwise I am probably off to Eve or Eva, which may not be very 'berry' but which are serviceable day to day! Ah! Decisions!

[ljandrl]

Oh I'd already replied before getting your message!

But to elaborate, Susanna Elspeth is stunning - I think I'd go with Susanna Elspeth Kate or Susanna Katherine Elle to be honest, but that's being picky. I just quite like that 3-2-1 pattern, or 2-3-1.

Katharine Georgiana Elise has a perfect rhythm, and Kate is very sweet, but I'm just not blown away by Katherine. It's a nice name and all, but I really love Susanna and Georgiana.

Isla isn't a favourite of mine, but sandwiched between to very strong names like Georgiana and Katherine, it's actually refreshingly light and breezy, so yes I like Georgiana Isla Katherine, but would maybe prefer Georgiana Katherine Elise?

Hope that helps!

[ljandrl]

thanks for your response, I was hoping you would chime in!

While I love the pronunciation of Georgiana with JANE, I don't know if it would fly in real life. We tried to pass this off on my English mother-in-law and was met with much confusion... "George-WHAT? WHO? WHAT? George-JANE-ah? Noooo... you mean George-anne-ah, surely, etc. etc. etc. blah, blah" So that would be an uphill battle. But I still love it.

I am suspecting the most readily accepted pronunciation may be George-ANN-ah (forgive emphasis if it is in wrong place).

I am a bit spooked by Susanna because of the banjo song, but my husband tells me it is lovely. Both are family names.

Katharine bores me a tiny, tiny bit, too, but I am worried that Georgiana may be a bit much while Katharine is safe and mainstream and that in itself isn't a terrible thing... if that makes any sense. :-)

I know what you mean, and I forgot about the third pronunciation of Georgiana, I think it's perfect. Not as frilly as Jorge-ee-AH-na, not as difficult to convince people of (or as pretentious?) as jor-JANE-uh. Don't forget, if a Georgiana wants to fit in she can go be Georgie! I think that's really sweet on a girl, and I may be wrong but I think Georgina is fairly mainstream isn't it? So maybe that's paved the wa for Georgiana.

I don't think of Susanna as at at all hillbilly or anything, but sometimes personal associations are hard to shake. I think Susanna is sweet, fresh, youthful but ages well, stylish, underused and very elegant. Like Sophia without the popularity. I know an 8/9 year old Susanna nn Susie who wears the name very well. And I love all the nn options! Susie, Sunny, Sanna, Zanna, Anna, Annie, Sukie, Zuzu - is simple or creative as you like!

[plum and peridot]

Thanks so much for your response re: third pronunciation of Georgiana. You are absolutely right that Georgie is cute and very down-to-earth, so that is an option, as is (the nn) Anna.

I was also very interested in your opinion of Susanna(h). The nicknames are great and Susanna Elspeth is very pretty!

I tend towards caution and being too conservative and I know that the more Berry posts I read, the more fanciful my name list becomes, so trying to strike a balance is tough!


Your feedback is fantastic and very much appreciated!

[joyfulmomto8]

As someone who is still considering Susanna, and absolutley loves it, I will say that to me the song is neither here or there. If anything, I find the song cute and charming Susanna is appealing to me on so many levels. You don't hear it, it sounds fresh, fun yet elegant and so many precious nick names! I LOVE Katherine, you can't go wrong with her. She is timeless, with elegance and style. Georgiana.. I watches the movie and the Dutchess (I believe it was called) three times on an Airplane ride from the States to Africa. I fell fast for the name, it's lovely, but not hard enough to actually use it. It's pretty, but I think the pronounciation could become an issue... and I don't like the NN Georgie.... Having said that, I still do not think it's a bad choice. You have lovely combos!!!

[pam]

I love both Georgiana and Susanna but would probably pick Susanna in real life. The pronunciation issue is going to be big -- I think most Americans would pronounce it George-anna, with an ending just like that of Susanna. I think both are a far site better than Katharine -- lovely, but so many of them, along with all the Kates, Katies, Caitlins etc.

[malk]

I prefer Katharine, but don't like your Katharine combo. Just can't warm to Georgiana even as a middle name. So I voted Susanna. This name is growing on me. It has a lovely swing to it, lilting.

[jamie.g]

I love Georgiana. I think it's absolutely beautiful. I don't think I would be brave enough to use it though. It's just a little too much of a mouthful for me and a bit too out there. I also love Susanna. I would totally use this one. Very beautiful, but underused. It doesn't seem country to me. Katherine has always been on our list. If it wasn't used so much it might be my favorite. I just can't get past all the Kates and Katherines already running (and crawling) around. I think my favorite of the three is Susanna.