Hi! I got lots of amazing help with my first two kids’ names back on the old website but have been avoiding thinking too much about names since then, as for the last 4 years we were pretty serious about not having any more kids! But the baby bug has found us again and we’re TTC baby number 3. 

The name Maria has been invading my thoughts for a while and I think I would use it as a first name if we had another girl. Both my daughter and son have international/classic first names with English/Celtic  middle names, and I would like to keep that going. Maria fits that for me, as well as being a family name a few generations back.

My daughter’s name included my paternal grandmother’s name and my son’s included my husband’s maternal grandfather’s name. For number 3 I would like to use a name from my maternal side for the middle. My mom’s name is Elizabeth, which I like, but I don’t like the -a ending of Maria with the e- beginning of Elizabeth. I love Elsbeth/Elspeth even more but it has that same sound combination. Is there a one syllable name we could stick in between? (Jean is out as it’s my daughter’s middle.) I don’t really want two middles, so it would have to be something I really loved. 

My mom’s dad used to call her Liesbet (Lees-bet), which I find pretty on its own but not so much with first and last name (last name starts with L). Maria Lisabeth (Leesa-beth) sounds ok to me. Would people know to pronounce it that way, rather than Liz-a-beth? It also seems less English/Celtic to me and more European? 

I know there are many many variations of Elizabeth, just not sure I’ve got the right one yet. Would love to hear which is your favourite or which you think is best given my “criteria.” I appreciate any suggestions while I wait for test time! 🙂