The Other Elizabeths

I don't know if I can make this very clear, but I love my name. I never quite gel to nicknames like Liz or Lizzy or Betsy no matter what family members call me. I have always preferred Elizabeth in full. It is the name of many people I admire and has never been too trendy no matter how many Elizabeths there are.
But Elizabeth isn't the only of it's kind.
Here are a few names that have similar features to Elizabeth: old names that have staid in the top 50 for years, but have not really been in the #1 spot in the past decade.

Samantha: Samantha is a natural variant of Elizabeth. They both have an old colonial sound, and have been steadily popular for years, but not #1 popular.It also has the boyish nickname Sam, making it the enviable name for all tomboys of the world.

Alexis:  I am not a personal fan of Alexis. To me it seems like one of those names you give to your daughter because you subconsciously wanted a boy. Still, it has it's charms, and a lot more people have been a fan of this name.

Hannah: This is a very east-coast name. I like the name Hannah, but it doesn't have a lot of oomph. It's got a plain-jane sound to it, no matter how pretty a Hannah could be (and the Hannah I know is quite pretty).

Sarah: Sarah seems like the obvious sister, or cousin, to Hannah. Both are old Hebrew names that do not inspire me. Still, I cannot stop liking the name due to it's many admirable namesakes.

Grace:Grace is a lovely virtue name that doesn't sound too stuffy. It surprises me sometimes in it's simpleness.Sometimes I find it almost too simple, if you know what I mean.

Feel free to share other names that you feel fall into the "Elizabeth" category.

My Current Crush: Louella

I have recently been loving fairly southern names. I'm the opposite of southern, but like many African Americans, I have family in past and present who have resided below the Mason Dixon Line. One name I like practically begs to be said with an accent.My Jersey accent might take away from the beauty of this name, but I love it still: Louella.
On Nameberry, Louella is said to be a smoosh of Louise and Ella. On Behind The Name, someone comments that Louella could be an old Teutonic word for "shrewd war heroine", but the scientist in me needs more data around that. There is nothing wrong with smooshing Louise and Ella together.
What I like about Louella is that it's a familiar name, can suit a potential tomboy with the nickname Lou, and has just that little dash of "special" that helps it stand out.
Also, might I add that I love the brand Luella? The clothes are often lovely, whimsical, and add a huge injection of youthfulness to the name Louella, or Luella as it's also spelled. The image is from the brand's Spring 2010 show. I look forward to seeing what more Luella Bartley has to offer.


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