You have a meeting on the very top floor of the tallest building the city today. You step into the elevator with one other person — a well-dressed lady who happens to be pregnant and who’s heading to the floor just below yours. The two of you chat and, toward the end of the ride, she mentions that she’s run out of ideas for baby names. Then she tells you the gist of what she’s looking for:
A girl’s name to honour great grandmother Alvina. We dislike the names “Vinnie” and “Alvie”, so we’re looking for something less obviously related to, but still reflective of, Alvina.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
You’re a name-lover, and you could potentially give her dozens of suggestions. But the elevator is slowing down for the first stop, so you only have time to give her five baby name suggestions before the two of you part ways.
But here’s the fun part: Instead of blurting out the first five names you come up with (which is what you’d be forced to do in real life) you get to press a magical “pause” button, brainstorm for a bit, and then “unpause” the scenario to offer her the best five names you can think of.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you brainstorm:
- Be independent. Decide on your five names before looking at anyone else’s five names.
- Be sincere. Would you honestly suggest these particular baby names out loud to a stranger in an elevator?
- Five names only! All names beyond the first five in your comment will be either deleted or replaced with nonsense words.
Finally, here’s the request again:
A girl’s name to honour great grandmother Alvina. We dislike the names “Vinnie” and “Alvie”, so we’re looking for something less obviously related to, but still reflective of, Alvina.
Which five baby names are you going to suggest?
This one is tough. I can come up with only three:
Alva
Vianna
Vina
Alina
Ava
Liviana
Sylvana
Viola
Ailsa
Alice
Aubrey
Sylvine
Vivian
Lavina
Alaina
Valeria
Aviana
Aliva
Lena
Livna
Avelina
Only one suggestion with a nickname added:
Alvina nickname Ally
Alva
Allie
Alice
Vivian
Lina
[Edited. -Nancy]
Alina
Avi
Ava
Ina
Valani
[Edited. -Nancy]
I looked for names with a similar meaning as well as those with phonetic similarity.
Alba
Arwen (“noble maiden”)
Aubrey (“elf ruler”)
Avril
Bellamy (“fine friend”)
[Edited. -Nancy]
This is a hard one. I guess I would suggest the following:
1) Name her Alvina and call her Allie.
2) Name her Alvina J____ and call her AJ.
3) Use Alvina as the middle name.
4) Find a name with a similar meaning (elf friend or noble) so maybe Avery or Alice.
[Edited. -Nancy]
Perhaps she’d like other names beginning with an Al- or El- sound? My favorites, among a field of more popular options: Althea and Elodie
Or, a name that’s also “from” Old English, but a little more accessible, such as Audrey or Winifred?
Or, any name beginning with/containing a strong V sound, such as Geneva?
[Edited. -Nancy]
Hi all,
Thank you for the comments so far! But please don’t forget this is a Five-Name Friday post. Comments should be short lists of up to 5 names, ideally, and shouldn’t include much/any explanatory text. And, as usual, if you include a 6th name anywhere — *even* if that name is not a suggestion, i.e., is something out of the request itself — I will have to edit your comment.
Avila
Aveline
Amity (similar meaning & same initial)
nn Allie
Vaila
Ethelyn
Ethelwyn
Elfrida
Herleva
Alaina
Alina
Avalynn
Aveline
Evelina
Elowyn
Alice
Amity
Wendy
Alfreda
Alayna
Alba
Alice
Alina
Avery
Alba
Alice
Valerie
Lena
Olivina
Avalin
Avalon
Valerie
Alina
Avia
Alina (a-LEE-na)
Alicia (a-LEE-sha)
Alice
Alison
Adela
Alma
Elvira
Lavinia
Malvina
Viviana
Aviva
Adelina
Vivian (possible nn Vina)
Virginia (also possible nn Vina)
Alia
Ava
Ana
Liv
Wynn
Here is another suggestion (the following is one name):
Anna Lilly Viola Ida Nora Alma (= A.L.V.I.N.A.)
I choose short names because one first name and five middle names are quite a mouthful.
Alba
Alina
Valina
Georgina
Vanilla
Alice Violet Natasha
Ayla Viviana
Alina
Viola
Malvina
Celina
Lavinia