Move over, all-knowing goddess. There’s a new gal on top of the mount.
Say Gooddag to the Danish princess, who was Christened yesterday:
Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie. She is the daughter of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie. Françoise is Princess Marie’s mother’s name, Marguerite is after Queen Margrethe. She has three godmothers and three godfathers, and based on her name alone, I’m volunteering to be a seventh godparent.
She joins three older brothers, Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik and Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian from a previous marriage, and Prince Henrik Carl Joachim Alain, who is also Marie’s child. They have some well-named first cousins as well.
Do you like the “royal” way of naming? Would you use more than one middle name to honor family? I’ll let you in on a little secret: my daughters are both named in this vein. Couldn’t help myself!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
my siblings and I (6) have 3 names each. My mom just loved names. Both my children have 3. Any future children will too. Name Nerd.
I just wonder how they choose which family names to use! I’m curious of the behind-the-scenes naming process. Is it totally up to the parents? Or are the grandparents (etc) likely to pressure for certain names to be included. I mean, everyone knows the drill: four names, honor relatives. So I wonder if that invites suggestions from their families…and how that all shakes out. Does tradition always triumph over personal taste in these cases?
And I adore the name Athena.
Now I want to know your daughters’ full names, Elisabeth! I love the way royals name their children, it’s so resplendent with tradition and family ties. I like the quirky Athena up front though.
I’ll give you a hint: they both have three middle names. One has Françoise as part of her name, the other Marie. So yes, this name is right up my alley.
I always appreciate long royal names, but so often they wind up sounding less like a nice combination and more like a random mish-mash of names they had to use to honor someone. This one, however, sounds really great all together. I’d prefer Athena Françoise Marie or Athena Marguerite Françoise, but they all seem to have the same vibes, so the name ends up sounding more put-together than a lot of other royal combos — her brothers’ names are nice that way, too.
I love Athena, and the full name is gorgeous! I’d definitely be tempted to use all my favorite names in a royalty-inspired four name combo, but realistically I think I’d stick to just the one middle name.
(Also, sorry to be obnoxiously nitpicky, but Athena wasn’t the queen of the gods; Hera was.)
My parents gave all 14 (some are adopted) of their children three names, and my husband and I plan to carry on the tradition with our kids! I LOVE it! Names are one of my things so getting to use more than two is a treat!
Momma to Ilyria Renee Rebekah
Athena!! I love that name… for it’s beauty, history/literature links.. and because it’s one of my daughters names.
Athena is a beautiful name. Love the brothers’ names too.
I like to look at these long, intricate names but I opt for a more minimal, carefully edited approach myself. If it takes four names to say what you want to say in that first gift to your child then, by all means, go for it! If you can say it in two, then do it. I like that names can create a picture or a message to our children in the meanings they hold, the connections they create, the histories they evoke. Personally, I like that picture or message to be as meaningful as possible *without* becoming weighty. Carefully worded so as to be a gift, not a directive. A name that will not wear my child but that my child will wear and build on and make their own in all its facets. (Also, when it comes down to it, I just like the beauty in simple things. There are certain names I love that I think I could give to a child without any middle at all.)
Hello Elisabeth,
Because you are a busy lady, I will make this brief. If you can, I would like your input on a name combination. I have been thinking of changing my name for about three years now, and so, I would like to know what you think of: Oona Lilac Hermione Lois (my surname sounds like hoe). Oona is, to my everlasting shame, just because I think it’s pretty; Lilac is my favorite flower; Hermione is for the Harry Potter connection, and because I think it adds strength; Lois is because it’s my grandma’s name. If you can add some form of input, it would be appreciated.
How I adore all these names! I might lose Hermione if it’s only for the “Harry Potter connection”, the name is perfectly strong without. Oona Lilac Lois? How the alliteration sings! I do wonder if it needs another syllable. Oona Lilac Louisa? Can you use Louisa for Lois?
Great names all though, you can’t go wrong. Oona is a personal favorite of mine. Good luck, and please let us know what you choose!
Why do you want to change your name from Ophelia? That’s a lovely name! It’s my mother’s middle name and my great grandmother’s name. I also love it in Spanish – Ofelia.