Thread: Another undecided for girly no.3!

I posted a bit ago about our trouble deciding on a name for our 3rd daughter due in 5 weeks. We've not got much further to be honest, though there is a favourite name in the lead, I'm having trouble because I feel it doesn't match the other 2 girls as well as I would like! I must have some mild form of ocd as I like things to match, to go well together, and the girls names are really important as far as this is concerned. All will have 2 middle names (I had one middle while my sister had two and it's bothered me right into adulthood haha!)

Our older girls are Alyssa Jenna Rose and Francesca Sophia Grace. Part of me would prefer the name to be 3 syllables and end in 'a' and therefore 'go with' the others, and none will end up feeling left out etc. My sister recently mentioned that she sometimes felt she was 'only' Emma compared to my Rebecca and our brother Dominic. Silly? Well it's about on the same level as me being annoyed that she got 2 middles and I only got 1. It never occurred to me that her first name was shorter so maybe it evened it out a bit?

Anyway our favourite for baby 3 is currently Thea. It's been on our lists since no.2 so I at least feel it's not just been conjured up, we've liked it for a couple of years. BUT I'm having trouble definitively deciding on it because I'm not sure it fits in with my idea of 'matching' the other 2 girls.

I really like it, but it seems very simple and short compared to the others, though only one syllable less? Really this name would be more sensible (if this was just about sensibility!) as we have a double-barrelled name! But I just can't shake the feeling that if this bothers me now, it's always going to bother me.

While I love the name Alyssa (though rare here in the UK it gets alot of mis-spelling and mis-pronunciation etc) I'm not as in love with the name Francesca, though lovely, I sometimes feel that DH loved it more and it was nice to be able to agree on a name when we didn't agree on many! She's nearly 2 now and thankfully I don't dislike her name, but I don't want to be left with similar possibly bigger feelings on no.3's name.

Soooo what to do?

Do we try and find a 3 syllable name we like as much? Also worth mentioning that my dh doesn't agree with me, thinks the syllable number issue is silly and that we have enough trouble limiting the search to names ending in a!

I'm also looking at a longer name which you can get Thea/Thia from? It's a shame there are so few of these!

So far I like

Bethia - BUT the emphasis in this name is Beth not Thia and she'd get called Beth, which while nice is too popular for me
Elthia
Elethia - but would prefer 3 syllables not 4 lol
Alethea - but really too close to Alyssa to use

Such a shame that names which emphasize the Thea sound more aren't that attractive - don't like Theodora/Dorothea etc

Any 3 syllable names suggestions ending in a would be appreciated, I might find another I like as much as Thea

Other names we liked were Lana and Cora but they have the same problem Thea does really? Dh has vetoed loads of names which I like - Aurora, Matilda...

For middle names I really want to use Faith as the 3rd name as loved it for years and not been able to use yet. Other middle would like to end in a too...like Lilana, Rebecca, Sabrina etc

Thankyou for reading! Any ideas?

Have you considered Thalia or Talia? They resemble Thea to me without seeming like a nn with no good proper name option (seems to be where you're stuck with Thea). Talia Rebecca Faith or Talia Sabrina Faith sound lovely to me. Alyssa, Francesca, Talia. I prefer without the h as I prefer TAHL-ya not THAL-ya and I wouldn't want to have to correct people.

Ooo thanks, some lovely suggestions. I agree it's not an ideal situation and logically rationally speaking it is daft to fixate on the number of syllables and names which end the same. But I am who I am and if it's worrying me now, it may bother me forever. The children are all individuals and deserve names which are different but I still like the idea that they are different but still 'connected'?

Otherwise yes Thea is lovely, not common and not trendy and should be fine. hmmmm

Of suggestions I really like

Cassia
India
Jemima
Gabriella
Sapphira - dh liked this but does sound a bit like a car called zafira?

Not sure on Saskia as would probably get shortened to Sas/Sassy rather than Kia? But then Kia is also a car isn't it

Dh has vetoed a few of those mentioned already, and while is willing to discuss names further finds it hard as he's been imagining the baby is already called Thea - which I've also been trying to do, but this issue is still bothering me

Oh and I REALLY like Xanthia/Zanthia but I know someone with a daughter called Xanthe and while only going to bump into this person once a year if that it doesn't feel as original to us? Will definitely give it a think.

bancios - thankyou, nice to know I'm not alone! Your girls names are lovely, I understand how difficult it is to find a name that you're happy with, especially hard when you've used such lovely ones already!

Alyssa, Francesca and sister...

Carolina
Susanna
Delilah
Jerusha
Tabitha
Lydia
Davina
Kerensa
Catriona
Cordelia
Octavia
Theodosia
Serena
Philippa
Victoria
Jemima
Carlotta
Henrietta
Violetta
Sapphira
Paloma
Tallulah
Linnea
Corinna
Gabriella
Eugenia
Sylvia
Veronica
Justina
Viviana
Marina
Marcella
Ginevra
Daniela
Emilia
Estella
Louisa
Helena
Ophelia
Eudora
Geneva
Cornelia
Georgiana
Leonora
Virginia
Rowena
Sybilla
Roxanna
Lucia / Lucinda
Lavinia
Cassandra
Miranda
Natalia
Tatiana
Cecilia
Chiara
Mattea
Thalia

I don't think it would be a problem if you used just Thea. It's a really pretty name, and I doubt anyone would notice that it's "only" two syllables. I like gwensmom's suggestion of Talia, too.

Good luck!

Geez, sounds like you have the same problem as me trying to name my third daughter. Thought we'd chosen a name, Giselle, but not happy that it really matches our other daughters' names. I have a bit of OCD too. Regret giving one of my girls a 5 letter name when everyone else has 6 letters. Now don't know how many letters to go with for daughter number 3. Want to also find a name that ends in a but can't find something that I love. My girls are Saskia Grace and Milla Rose, so we like some of the same names. Not to mention the fact that my name is Sophia. What about the name Saskia for you...it can be shortened to Kia which sounds a bit like Thea. It also matches well with Francesca I think and not too common here in UK. ??? Anyway, just a thought. Some others: Estella, Jemima, Cassia, Kiara, Camilla, India, Edwina, Isolda, Gloria, Calista??? Wanted to also say I can relate to your problems and hope you find something perfect.

I think I have to agree with your husband that narrowing down your options to fit with a 'theme' is very limiting. I've noticed on her that people from the us are obsessed with mathing 'sibsets'. I have to say I don't understand it. Although your sister thought her name was short and you were upset about only having one middle name has it really affected your life? I'd suggest not so whilst your daughter may give a fleeting though to why her sisters names have there syllable whilst she has two it's fairly easy to explain - you gave then names you loved and it just so happened that one had two syllables. Personally I'd go for the shorter one very time, especially with two mns and a double-barrel surname - that's a lot of name (no offence meant).
Basically if you love Thea then go with it.
Remember that your kids will only live together for a short time in their lives then they will prob live separately and be known separately - not as a group

Oh!!!! Just thought of another one which could be perfect...Xanthia nn Thia (or you could change the spelling to Xanthea nn Thea), which is a Greek name that means yellow. I really like this name and you get your nn Thia/Thea.

gwensmom thanks! We considered Thalia/Talia but I'm not a big fan really, we would pronounce it Tah-lee-a or Tal-ee-a but it's a bit too trendy here now unfortunately which is one of the reasons I'm not keen. We know of a few girls with the name now.