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HelpThe March Sisters and how would you change them
Many know of the March sisters from Little Women: Margaret "Meg", Josephine "Jo", Elizabeth "Beth" and Amy. What do you think of this sibset? If you were to rewrite Little Women in the modern day, how would you change their names? following the theme of three of them with longer names but having a 1-syllable nickname, and one with a short 2-syllable name.
I personally like Margaret "Meg", Elizabeth "Beth" and Amy, I've just never been into Josephine. It just feels crusty to me. Like toothpaste dried on the upper lip. If I were rewriting Little Women, I would name the girls Isabelle "Belle", Catherine "Kate", Gwendolyn "Gwen" and Lucy.
Please rate my "Names I would Use" list & "Backup Favorites" list. Feel free to rate some of my other lists too if you have the time.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223226/138473
I personally like Margaret "Meg", Elizabeth "Beth" and Amy, I've just never been into Josephine. It just feels crusty to me. Like toothpaste dried on the upper lip. If I were rewriting Little Women, I would name the girls Isabelle "Belle", Catherine "Kate", Gwendolyn "Gwen" and Lucy.
Please rate my "Names I would Use" list & "Backup Favorites" list. Feel free to rate some of my other lists too if you have the time.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223226/138473
This message was edited 2/27/2024, 9:03 AM
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Replies
Everything fits except Amy! It should have been short for Amelia or Amaryllis or something!
I like your version but I'd use either Catherine "Cate" or Katherine "Kate", and Gwendolen instead of Gwendolyn. Lucy fits well too.
Anastasia "Annie"
Rosario "Rose"
Camilla "Cam"
Juno (or June)
Eleanor "Nora"
Rosemary "Rose"
Annabel "Bell"
Jane
I like your version but I'd use either Catherine "Cate" or Katherine "Kate", and Gwendolen instead of Gwendolyn. Lucy fits well too.
Anastasia "Annie"
Rosario "Rose"
Camilla "Cam"
Juno (or June)
Eleanor "Nora"
Rosemary "Rose"
Annabel "Bell"
Jane
2
I love the creativity, but I think it would be a bit odd to use that name on someone who's not Jewish.
1
I like Margaret, but not Meg; not any of its nns actually. Jo = the author, known as Louie: I don't enjoy Louisa or Josephine, so let's rename her Frances, nn Fran. Elizabeth is lovely but its nns aren't; she can be Isabel. And Amy if I remember correctly was used because May (LMA' middle name of course) was a family surname and Amy is an anagram of it.I prefer May.
Margaret, no nn
Frances, nn Fran
Isabel, nn Belle if necessary
May!
Margaret, no nn
Frances, nn Fran
Isabel, nn Belle if necessary
May!
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You could also use May as a nickname for Margaret maybe
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True, and that would remove the two matching initials problem! OK:
Margaret, nn May
Frances, nn Fran
Isabel, nn Belle
Agnes. It doesn't particularly suit the character, but it would give her something to react against, and that would be in character.
Margaret, nn May
Frances, nn Fran
Isabel, nn Belle
Agnes. It doesn't particularly suit the character, but it would give her something to react against, and that would be in character.
1
I always liked Josephine's name best! If Louisa May Alcott had consulted me, the March sisters would have been called Josephine, Daisy, Eliza, and Annabel. So much better.
A modern day March set could be....
Alexandra "Al"
Olivia "Ollie" or maybe "Liv"
Penelope "Nell"
Ivy
Although that actually doesn't sound very modern at all!
A modern day March set could be....
Alexandra "Al"
Olivia "Ollie" or maybe "Liv"
Penelope "Nell"
Ivy
Although that actually doesn't sound very modern at all!
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Liv as a nickname for Olivia is pretty modern.
1
Katherine ‘Kit’
Samantha ‘Sam’
Dorothea ‘Dot’
Rosa
I always loved the original sibset but I do agree with Wordsmith, Amy should have been Amelia nn Amy. It’s always bothered me that she was the only one without a longer first name! But she was also the only one whose mn is mentioned in the book, Amy Curtis March, so that evens it out a little I suppose.
Samantha ‘Sam’
Dorothea ‘Dot’
Rosa
I always loved the original sibset but I do agree with Wordsmith, Amy should have been Amelia nn Amy. It’s always bothered me that she was the only one without a longer first name! But she was also the only one whose mn is mentioned in the book, Amy Curtis March, so that evens it out a little I suppose.
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I made variations in various eras.
My old Fashioned Set
Virginia "Ginny"
Louise "Lou"
Caroline "Carrie"
Eva
My 1930s to 1940s Set
Kathleen "Kat"
Geraldine "Jerry"
Barbara "Babs"
Nancy
My mid-century Set
Susan "Sue"
Pamela "Pam"
Deborah "Debbie"
Linda
My my Parents' Generation (1970s) Set
Kimberly "Kim"
Christine "Chris"
Melissa "Mel"
Dawn
My 1980s to 1990s Set
Brittany "Brit"
Samantha "Sam"
Rachel "Rae"
Chelsea
My my Generation (2000s) Set
Emily "Emmy"
Madeline "Mads"
Grace "Gracie"
Claire
My current popular/trendy Set
Olivia "Liv"
Aria "Ari"
Charlotte "Char"
Mila
My old Fashioned Set
Virginia "Ginny"
Louise "Lou"
Caroline "Carrie"
Eva
My 1930s to 1940s Set
Kathleen "Kat"
Geraldine "Jerry"
Barbara "Babs"
Nancy
My mid-century Set
Susan "Sue"
Pamela "Pam"
Deborah "Debbie"
Linda
My my Parents' Generation (1970s) Set
Kimberly "Kim"
Christine "Chris"
Melissa "Mel"
Dawn
My 1980s to 1990s Set
Brittany "Brit"
Samantha "Sam"
Rachel "Rae"
Chelsea
My my Generation (2000s) Set
Emily "Emmy"
Madeline "Mads"
Grace "Gracie"
Claire
My current popular/trendy Set
Olivia "Liv"
Aria "Ari"
Charlotte "Char"
Mila
5
Jennifer "Jenny"
Samantha "Sam"
Bethany "Beth"
Rachel
Samantha "Sam"
Bethany "Beth"
Rachel
1
I'm bothered that Amy is the one short full name with no nickname. I had long assumed her name was Amelia "Amy," which would be more harmonious.
The set is a bit too staid for my liking. Josephine is my favorite of the four names.
My set:
Winifred "Fred"
Eudora "Doe"
Ianthe "Nan"
Sibyl
The set is a bit too staid for my liking. Josephine is my favorite of the four names.
My set:
Winifred "Fred"
Eudora "Doe"
Ianthe "Nan"
Sibyl
5
While I’m not too fond of either of them, I’ve always found Meg as a nickname for Margaret very interesting. I like Josephine a lot, and I quite like Jo. I appreciate Elizabeth, though I prefer other nicknames to Beth. I’m warming up to Amy. And as a surname I really like March!
If I were to follow this pattern, I think I would go with Estella ‘Est’, Helena ‘El’, Marceline ‘Mars’ and Freya :)
If I were to follow this pattern, I think I would go with Estella ‘Est’, Helena ‘El’, Marceline ‘Mars’ and Freya :)
3
I like Josephine "Jo" and Elizabeth "Beth". I think I'd stick with those and add Jessica "Jess" and Lily.
1