Message: "Gillian" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Gillian

by Frollein Gladys

8/18/2011, 8:39 PM

What do you think of the name Gillian?

Oh, and how would you pair it?

#Gillian

Replies

- Anniemao +1

8/18/2011, 9:34 PM

Reminds me of Gillian Murphy, the ballerina. Personally I'm more of a fan of Jillian, because the G makes it look too hard. Also people might be inclined to prounounce it gill-ian.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:24 PM

I need to look up Gillian Murphy, I'm so shamefully clueless when it comes to ballet. Need to change this :-)

You mean people might pronounce it with a hard G? Oh...

- HappySingleMum +1

8/18/2011, 10:42 PM

I prefer it spelt Jillian.

Jillian Rose comes to mind.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:26 PM

Ah, I like the Jillian spelling as well. It's just that this G... I don't know, I just find it utmost appealing when it comes to Gillian / Jillian ;-)

(It seems like I have a thing for G names in general... )

- Anneza +2

8/18/2011, 10:53 PM

I love Gillian and greatly prefer the G spelling; however, I also prefer Jill with a J. Which can be very slightly confusing sometimes!

I've always fancied Laura Gillian as a combo. And I've always thought that if one were fortunate enough to have twins, a good way to link them names-wise would be to use Gillian for one and Juliet for the other. It wouldn't much matter if they were fns or mns; I think of Laura Gillian and Tessa Juliet, but other possibilities exist - Gillian Clare and Juliet Anne, or Gillian Ruth and Juliet Rose. Or, of course, Juliet Laura and Gillian Tessa - they sound better in that order somehow.

- Bear

8/19/2011, 11:59 AM

Lovely combinations, especially Gillian Clare (so round).

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:20 PM

Same here: I love the full name spelt Gillian, the nickname however, I prefer the Jill spelling.

I really like Gillian Clare and the twin set Gillian Clare and Juliet Anne is adorable. Thank you! :-)

- Dracotorix +2

8/18/2011, 10:57 PM

Gillian annoys me a bit. I know it's pronounced Jillian, but whenever I see it I can't help thinking GILL-ee-an, like the gills on a fish (or a gilly flower, for a nicer mental picture). It's not really my style at any rate. I'll try some pairings though...

Gillian Magnolia
Gillian Thomasine
Gillian Ophelie
Gillian Constance
Gillian Margaret
Gillian Adelaida
Gillian Lucienne
Gillian Madeleine
Gillian Lorelei
Gillian Lilibeth
Gillian Elizabeth
Gillian Antoinette
Gillian Marissa
Gillian Peony
Gillian Poppy
Gillian Mariella
Gillian Maryam
Gillian Marianne
Gillian Primrose
Gillian Violetta
Gillian Violet
Gillian Maisie
Gillian Leontine
Gillian Olivine
Gillian Olivette
Gillian Olivia
Gillian Olive
Gillian Dorcas
Gillian Beatrice
Gillian Bethania

- Bear

8/19/2011, 12:01 PM

Gillian Margaret, Gillian Adelaida and Gillian Beatrice are gloriously medeival, even renaissance. Love them.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:17 PM

Whoa, thank you! Seeing as you don't like Gillian, I think you did an amazing job finding middle names for her!

My favourites are

Gillian Thomasine
Gillian Constance
Gillian Margaret
Gillian Violet
Gillian Leontine
Gillian Olivine (Olivine is new to me. Thanks!)
Gillian Olivette
Gillian Olive

I love Beatrice, too. But I think I prefer her as a sister to Gillian ;-)

- Llewella (penguiny7) +2

8/19/2011, 4:47 AM

I really like it. It's so brilliantly green and smiley. Lately I've been preferring the spelling Jillian, but it depends on my mood.

My combos...
Ava Gillian
Emer Gillian - I love this one
Gillian Claire
Gillian Ramona
Sarah Gillian

- Bear

8/19/2011, 12:01 PM

Oh, Emer Gillian is fantastic.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:12 PM

Ha! I came up with a "theme-y" sibset last night, and thought of Ava as Gillian's sister ;-)

Emer Gillian is fabulous! I love Emer, I'm just never sure how to pair her. So this combo might go on my long list.
I also love Gillian Claire, although I think I prefer the Clare spelling/variant.

Thank you! :-)

- kelly +2

8/19/2011, 8:21 AM

I prefer Jillian but it is a nice name. It has an intelligent feel to it.
This spelling has a Celtic feel to me so I would play that up and pick a middle name that is Irish/Gaelic.

Gillian Fiona
Gillian Aoife
Gillian Caitriona
Gillian Eilish
Gillian Grace

This message was edited 8/19/2011, 8:21 AM

- Bear

8/19/2011, 12:03 PM

Love Gillian Aoife and Gillian Eilish / Eilis. You and Llewella are reawakening my Celtic amours.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:03 PM

Oh, I really like Gillian Eilish (funny how I always overlook Eilish) and Gillian Caitriona. Thank you! :-)

- fluffien +2

8/19/2011, 9:55 AM

I knew a Gillian growing up. She went by Jill or Gillian interchangeably. I really love the name. She was such an interesting person, so that might have a lot to do with it. She was just one of those people that no one could ever say anything bad about. She still seems to be, although I no longer know her too well.

Gillian Grace
Gillian Olive
Gillian Frances
Gillian Meredith
Gillian Delilah
Gillian Violet
Gillian Diane
Gillian Marie
Gillian Margaret
Gillian Pearl
Gillian Soleil

- Bear

8/19/2011, 12:04 PM

Lovely, solid combos. My favorite is Gillian Frances. I don't know why but seeing names beginning with letters that are next to each other in the alphabet appeals to me a lot.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 3:57 PM

Those are lovely suggestions, thank you :-)

My favourite is Gillian Frances (another name I adore).
And Gillian Olive. And Gillian Margaret. And Gillian Violet. And Gillian Delilah.

Oh, and I might tweak Gillian Soleil into Gillian Sóley. From French to Icelandic/Faroese ;-)

- Ceridwen (Joan-Ay) +1

8/19/2011, 10:58 AM

I prefer Jillian, which I think is adorable. I find J much softer looking than G, plus with Gillian my eye is instantly drawn to Gill which I find unattractive.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 2:56 PM

I like Jillian, too.
But with Gillian and Jillian, I prefer the G spelling. I don't know what it is about the G, I just find it utterly appealing in this case.
Maybe it's because it looks so "heavy" while the "-illian" part looks so "light" to me. I think it just gives me the image of a flying kite. You know, a beautiful kite with its fluttering ribbons in the autumnal sky... and yet there's no danger that it will lose itself because someone has a hold on it. You know, the old idea of roots and wings.
Wow, this sounds like I'm totally crazy. Huh, yet another evening I'll be spending in the corner, face to the wall, being ashamed of myself and sipping coffee ;-)

- Bear +1

8/19/2011, 11:58 AM

I've always loved Gillian and was pleaed to see it gain poularity in the 90's. But it never attained mega-popularity so it still fells fresh. It has an old world feeling to it, almost medeival. But it's still modern too. Very versatile.

Renata Gillian is my stock combo for it. Maybe Gillian Corinna?

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 2:20 PM

I have the same feeling about Gillian. Mediaeval, yet modern. Almost as if time didn't matter to her. She's beyond time and space. (Um, am I making any sense here?)

It's funny you suggested Gillian Corinna - which I quite like, by the way -; I used to have the combo Cora Gillian on my list, but, these days, I really felt like using Gillian as a first name.

Thank you! :-)

- elsie (scholasticastewart) +1

8/19/2011, 3:44 PM

I have absolutely HORRIBLE associations with the name Gillian so I don't like it. Gillian Eve might be nice.

- Frollein Gladys

8/19/2011, 4:28 PM

Awww, that's a shame that bad associations ruined the name for you (that's what happened to me and Katya).

But Gillian Eve is adorable!

Thanks! :-)

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