Hi D!

I really need your help. Like right now. I'm 35 weeks pregnant and can't settle on a name for our daughter!!! This is our third girl, we are already parents to two beautiful daughters, Carolina and Manuela. We are brazilian and love these long latin names. Here is the tricky part: we don't want to repeat the ending sound but we are running out of ideas. See, me and my husband don't want something ending with "ina" (no Marina, Karina, etc) or "ela" (Rafaela, Gabriela) and my name is Juliana so that means no "ana" names (Mariana, Adriana). We don't want anything too short like Nina or Rita because we want it to sound good with her sisters names plus we also look for something nickname-able. Carolina and Manuela are known as Carol and Manu. I'm so tired of looking out for the perfect name... Am i being too picky? Should i just name her Sophia and let it be?? Aaargh
Any suggestions? We like Leticia and Elena but i've spent so much time obsessing over this that i can't think clearly anymore.

xxx

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Well, you don’t want much, huh? All the glamour of a long feminine name with none of the traditional endings AND you’ve already tapped through two great and less-common choices? Sure. Suuuure. Let me roll up my sleeves and get on it – this will be just so easy…

Okay. I do understand. But I think maybe it might be a bit restrictive to cut off all the endings. Specifically, I think “ana” might be the one I would put back into contention because most of the time you’re going to list all the names together – “Carolina, Manuela, _______ana, get down here now!” In a group of three, you could get away with it. I also think “tina” at the end might feel different. But let’s see what we can do with your preferences.

I do like both Leticia and Elena – though the latter seems shorter and more common than the other two just by repetition these days.

So what about Valeria? I always wondered why, when Valerie fell out of favour, Valeria went with it, since it’s so pretty and so rare? Along these same lines,  Nia Vardalos’ daughter is Ilaria -  a really fresh take on Hilary.   

What about Elisa? It’s been around and about of course, but not quite as common these days as all the Ella offshoots, so it might feel fresher than Elena? Similarly, have you been too quick to dismiss Veronica? I know it might initially seem more “Anglo” than the others, but it’s classic and stylish and will fit in perfectly with the older girls.

If you want to go really far afield, there’s also Septima and Octavia, depending on when this baby makes her appearance – and while I’m on the “I, Claudius” kick (was anyone else forced/delighted to watch this PBS series in high school?) you could always skip over Livia in favour of Lidia?  

Finally, for an out-of-the-box choice, you could always look at Natalia. Yes, it’s actually Russian and not Latin in origin, but could make a bit of international flavouring come through and feels in the same world even though we know it’s different!

Okay, you have five weeks. Let me know what happens and who wins out here! And under no circumstances do you default to Sophia. Promise?