Add Marlowe to the official list of celebrity babies. That’s what Sienna Miller chose for her brand new baby girl. Specifically, Marlowe Ottoline Layng Sturridge. It’s a lovely little town on the river Thames, to which the English Miller may have a personal connection. And Ottoline? Simply divine. A perfect compliment of divergent trends in one name.
Marlowe has been on the watch list for a while. Dooce‘s Heather Armstrong has a Marlo, and Danny Thomas’ daughter may have introduced us all to the concept (and yes, I suppose she was the original celebrity baby to bear this name). Williamsburg, Brooklyn is mother to the hip Marlow & Sons. It’s just the kind of fluidly androgynous name that many seek when picking a name for their daughter. Think Harlow, Harper; heck – Arlo and Casper too.
Celebrities are on a roll this week choosing noms-du-jour. Marlow was going to be on my list of lesser used “Names like Harper” blog, but now I’m not sure. I’d be willing to wager on this one for top risers of 2013.
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Celebrity babies Penelope and Marlow born in the same week – different styles but both nice. Looking forward to more posts
I used to teach twins: Marlo and Marlis (pronounced Mar-LEEse). Super nice girls, so maybe that’s why this name sounds so beautiful to me. =) Love it!
I love the English town of Marlow, and I love the name too. I had Marlow/Marlowe on my list of boys names when I was last pregnant. I like girly names on girls, so this androgynous name doesn’t cut it for me on a girl. But still, lovely name with gorgeous soft sounds. I wondered what Sienna would go for!
I love to see Ottoline used — it’s similar to my daughter’s name, Ottilie. Very pretty. I don’t care for Marlowe though, so trendy.
It just makes me think of Marlow Thomas.
Can I just say that I get very excited when you post?
Ok, so I know you don’t post much anymore, hence a name consultation is out of the picture, but maybe some readers could offer me some name ideas please please pretty please? We are due to have our second baby in only 3 weeks. If it is a girl we have NO NAME!!!! Seriously, I can’t believe I am one of those people!
Anyway, we have a boy named Benjamin, and if we have another boy he will probably be named Max. When we had Benjamin, we had the same can’t-agree-on-a-girls-name problem, but if he HAD been a girl then she would have been named Theodora, simply because this was the only name that my husband liked that I could live with!! (I like lots of girls names, but he is VERY fussy.) We were considering Theodora again this time, but whenever I have mentioned it loosely in conversation with anyone, they have looked confused and asked if it is a real name, or asked if it is a boys name!!! I know that’s just ignorance on their part, but I also don’t want my child to have a name that is so rarely used these days that people raise their eyebrows at it! You can tell with us having a Benjamin that unusual names are not really our thing
So…. I would love to have a Rose, but our surname is synonymous with plant/tree, etc, and so imagine a Rose Plant or Rose Tree etc – it just isn’t going to work as a name! Hence my husband and I have managed to agree on Rosalind, with the nickname Rosie or Rose. But now I am worrying that everyone will say ROZ-a-lind instead of ROSE-a-lind, and that will drive me crazy as I really don’t like the Roz pronunciation.
We also like, but have ruled out, Claudia and Sophia. Any other suggestions gratefully welcomed as we are running out of time!!!!!
Thanks everyone.
What about Lyla, Charlotte, Lucia, Winifred??
You go, Kate! I second Charlotte and Lyla. I have a Charlotte (Charlie to us) and if my next had been a girl, Lyla it was. I’ll add Lola and Helena. Ps- love Benjamin. I got mad veto’d on Ben and am still hold resentment.
Here are some ideas: Pearl, Isabella, Lillian, Miranda, Sienna, Allegra, Beatrice, Hazel, Alice, Nadia, Eloise, Callista, Holly, Samara, Chloe, Reverie, Francesca, Mabel, Illeana, Lucia, Aurelia, Esther, Ava, Olive, Charlotte, Freya, Sigrid, Yolanda, Violet, Eliza and Carolina.
Also, some little girls I know with brothers named Benjamin are Mietta, Jessica, Nina and Josie.
Hope you find something!
If you’re into traditional or old-fashioned, which seems to me to be the case with Theodora…maybe you’d like Dorothy? or Dorothea? Or you could convert Max to Maxine, if the baby’s a girl? Here’s some other options for traditional and/or not uber-popular girl names: Amelia, Caroline, Matilda, Audrey, Beatrice, Josephine, Cassandra, Phoebe, Estella, Daphne, Margaret, Julia, Eleanor, Leah.
I actually quite like Theodora, you could call her Dora–and I like Rosalind (did you ever consider Rosamund?) as well!
I agree that Rosalind will probably be pronounced Roz-a-lind- have you considered Rosalie? Such a pretty name and sounds great with Benjamin. Also Ruby, Cordelia, Rosemary, Isadora, Imogen, Araminta, Maeve.
I agree that Rosalie would be a good option to keep Rose in the mix. Have you considered Susanna/h? It will maintain a flower significance (means lily), sounds great with Benjamin, and has plenty of lovely nicknames: Sanna, Zsu, Annie. Good luck!
If you love Theodora, then go with it. People will warm to it. You may also just go with Dora or Althea.
Thanks for the suggestions – many great ones! Unfortunately the ones I liked don’t go with our surname or husband doesn’t like them!
I think Sophia may be back on the table for us – yes it is over-used these days, but we really like it and have done for years. But still, I am scouring the Top 1000 names list just in case something pops out at me!
Baby is 4 days overdue but at least that has given me some time to persuade hubby of some more names! We have a shortlist now of Sophia, Isabel and Florence. All names that I can live with, even if 2 of them are mega-popular right now. Phew! Now we just gotta wait for bubba to arrive…
So what happened is this site officially done? I wish there would have been some type of announcement
Ladies, baby is here! But not a girl, so all my stressing was for nought! Yes, we had a baby boy, and have named him Max Vincent. He is the most adorable little guy ever. SO in love, and so happy with our name
Thanks so much for your help when I was in mid-panic!!
Congratulations on the arrival of baby Max!
I agree with Kari – although I bet there would be an announcement if YCCII were going out of business, so to speak. (Hopefully!)