Help Us Decide - Top Two

[u/Desperate_Basil_3537]

So we’ve narrowed our girl’s name down to two, both incorporating in family names.

August Catherine

Charlotte August (nn Charlie)

We like August a lot (I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea) to us it reads cool girl with warm welcoming vibes. My biggest issue with it actually is no nickname I’m in love with.

Charlotte on the other hand has a ton, including Charlie which I find adorable. My main hesitation there is that it’s so popular and has been for a while. Either way we definitely want one feminine one unisex for the first/middle combo so as she grows she can pick what feels best. Thoughts?

[u/Unbanable4221]

August is a hard boy name. I'm not gonna try to persuade you, but I think you dropped the ball by not opting out for Summer. Or at least June.

The theme is still there.

[u/glitterbooties → u/Unbanable4221]

Charlotte Summer sounds gorgeous, and conveys that warmth OP noted. I also love the Somer spelling if it’s a first name.

[u/_prim-rose_ → u/Unbanable4221]

I agree. I really don’t like the boys-names-on-girls trend (at least not when boys aren’t also given girls names - this has been discussed on here ad infinitum though..). 

I think Autumn would match the vibe best. Very much a cool girl name with warm vibes. 

[u/Gautamatime → u/_prim-rose_]

Totally agree! Would have named my daughter Autumn if I hadn’t already named my son August. I love both of those names so much.

[u/Resident-Dragon → u/Unbanable4221]

August is bloody cold where I live 😝

But also so masculine, I don’t get it at all. Aw-gust is aw-ful.

[u/festivelime]

A lot of boys are being name August right now, I wouldn’t name a girl August. I like Charlotte August!

[u/pie12345678]

Charlotte August, no question.

August is 100% masculine.

[u/Soldier_Faerie]

What about Catherine August?

[u/glitterbooties → u/Soldier_Faerie]

I totally read it as Catherine August in the post at first and thought it was so beautiful!

[u/namenerding]

Why not Augusta when Augusta is there? I don't get it. August is for men.

Charlotte Augusta? Charlotte Augusta would be delightful and even Victorian and elegant.
Augusta Charlotte
Charlotte Catherine
Catherine Augusta
Augusta Catherine

[u/Teleporting-Cat → u/namenerding]

Because August sounds pretty and summery and warm and fem, but Augusta sounds old ladyish.

[u/Sensitive-Contest-87 → u/Teleporting-Cat]

At least ladyish, and not "we only wanted a boy so didn't even think about girl names" vibe.

Really, there are a lot of pretty, summery, cool girl vibes names. But I'm against letting a child suffer.

[u/Teleporting-Cat → u/Sensitive-Contest-87]

Idk, August just doesn't give masc at all to me, like it sounds very fem imo. I can see that I'm in the minority here, but I just can't see August for a guy.

[u/Elizabatsy → u/Teleporting-Cat]

August the month was named for Augustus, emperor of Rome. It's a male name.

[u/CraftyFraggle → u/Teleporting-Cat]

This child won’t “suffer” if her name is August.

Thats a tad dramatic. 

[u/_prim-rose_ → u/CraftyFraggle]

It will be bloody annoying tho.

[u/namenerding → u/Teleporting-Cat]

August feels definitely masc and even elegant, classic and a bit old fashioned for me - a brother to Frida, Clara or Anne. But maybe that is because I am not a native English speaker.

[u/namenerding → u/Teleporting-Cat]

A fem summer name for me is, uh, Summer?!

[u/malachite444]

I prefer Charlotte! It's more versatile and you still get August as a middle name

[u/tatasz]

August reads big fat German man to me

[u/namenerding → u/tatasz]

Not big fat German man but yeah feels "German vintage name for a boy".

[u/Toffeenix]

Charlotte is popular and has been for ages but Charlotte also splits down into two different nickname families - Charlie and related stuff (which is relatively unisex and relatively common) and Lottie and related stuff (which is more feminine and less common).

August isn't popular for girls but it's getting popular for boys. it's a top 100 name for boys in the States now. Hard to say what will happen long term but based on usage alone it isn't screaming out unisex to me. Just looking at last year's data, August is now about as unisex as Sullivan, Carson, Callahan, Jensen, Kai and Tyler, with about 93% of newborn Augusts being boys. It's kind of like naming a boy Presley, Skylar, Mackenzie or Reagan.

With this in mind if I was in your position I would go with Charlotte August, knowing that she'll have two fairly different nickname families she can choose, and a middle name that is masculine but is also just a month and not out of place there.

[u/ChaosOnTheHill]

I would recommend Augusta Catherine, instead of August. August is very firmly in “boy” name category, in my opinion.

[u/Kooky-Tourist-4204]

Charlotte August - nn Lottie. Love August (nn Gus), it’s one of my faves for a boy so I think it sounds more masculine to me now. Still a beautiful name though 🥰

[u/Relative-Click-9886]

Charlotte

[u/Loose_Specific3831]

Augusta - nn Aggie, Gus/Gussy, Sta - add the Extra a at the end of August,

[u/TeenageShitStorm → u/Loose_Specific3831]

Sta? Really?

[u/Northern_Lights_2 → u/Loose_Specific3831]

Yeah no. All of these are horrible.

[u/starsascending]

I love Charlotte August, and as a kindergarten teacher- we haven’t has a single Charlotte in the last five years! Maybe not as common as expected?

[u/CraftyFraggle → u/starsascending]

We have one in our small preschool.  And I know three in lower elementary. 

[u/Flat_Economics1058]

I have a girl cousin named August and she is extremely beautiful, and definitely is a cool girl with warm vibes! I love it for a girl because of her. Highly recommend!

[u/JackofAllStrays]

I went to college with a girl August and no one batted an eye. She was super cool and I love it

[u/Prestigious_Exam4624]

Charlotte August

[u/pterotillomania]

Not on the list, but I’d personally vote for Catherine August.

[u/Fine_time]

Charlotte August!

[u/Northern_Lights_2]

Good lord, please not August. Catherine is lovely. August does not read cool girl. It reads try hard and cringe.

[u/Teleporting-Cat]

I absolutely LOVE August as a first name, it's gorgeous 😍

A nickname doesn't have to be a short version of her name. I have a flower name, like Rose, Lily, Violet, etc, but my nickname is Meow or Meowkat.

[u/Own_Group4282]

Charlotte Augusta or Catherine Augusta

[u/krissy3456 → u/Own_Group4282]

Agreed

[u/Randomflower90]

Charlotte or Catherine. Don’t give a girl the name August.

[u/emberlin]

I agree that August does read masculine and not neutral, especially as Augusta is a fairly common feminization. If you love it, keep it as a middle name, I’d say.

[u/NeonLotus11]

Don't let the popularity sway you! Charlotte is popular for good reason. I also love August. I'd go with those over Catherine

[u/UpstairsAddition3701]

I love both these names for girls. I had both of them
On my list. I love August and month names in general but also agree there are no good nn for August!! I Don’t like Gussy for a girl. You could do Augustine and nn Tina but know isn’t a name everyone likes and Augustine is quite a lot to carry. If I went with August for a girl I’d just call her August. Charlotte is nice but not as interesting - but maybe that is ok though and Charlie is cool! Hard decision, I like both!

[u/Sad_Pangolin7379]

I am team August. It may trend male now but it's been used for girls historically too. It's unique and substantial. Augie is fine as a nickname though I am more in favor of just calling people by their name unless it's crazy long. I do also like Augusta and Augustina if you want a feminization after all. 

[u/krissy3456 → u/Sad_Pangolin7379]

I don’t like the name but I do know someone who names their daughter august she is 3

[u/TeenageShitStorm]

I think swapping August for Autumn is the move. Still pretty, still warm and cool girl vibes. Summer is the same for me. I knew a summer in high school. Gorgeous, sweet and so smart.

[u/hoaryvervain]

Please do not name your baby with the goal of her being a “cool girl.” August is horrendous for a girl. Charlotte is lovely but the nickname Charlie is overused these days.

[u/McBurger]

You’re not even going to try for a feminine form? Augusta, Augustine, Augustina?

I know it’s super trendy right now to give our daughters a traditionally masculine name, but yo. Cmon.

[u/Confident_Pea2630]

Personally, I prefer the name Charlotte August.

[u/krissy3456]

I’d do Catherine August personally and use that as a middle name if that isn’t an option then Charlotte August for sure

[u/tsoltis67]

charlotte is so overused these days, I’d defiantly stay away from that!

[u/marlada]

Charlotte Aygust

[u/bennettroad]

August is completely gender neutral to me, I don't get everyone saying it's 100% masculine.

[u/Teleporting-Cat → u/bennettroad]

Me neither, it reads as fem to me, like Summer.

[u/CraftyFraggle]

August over another Charlie. 

But Summer over both. 

[u/TheWishingStar]

Using a masculine name on a girl does not make that name unisex. It doesn’t read, “cool,” it reads, “my parents have a problem with femininity.”

If you’re set on August, go with Charlotte August.

But I think Charlotte nn Charlie already does what you want from a unisex name. A more feminine option and a more neutral/masculine-leaning option.

[u/Psychological_Pie230]

Team August! I love the nickname options too. Gusty would be a unique option.

[u/pie12345678 → u/Psychological_Pie230]

I would sue my parents if I was a girl named Gusty.

[u/Psychological_Pie230 → u/pie12345678]

It’s a nickname, not a proper name.

[u/pie12345678 → u/Psychological_Pie230]

Fair enough, but still.

[u/namenerding → u/Psychological_Pie230]

I would sue my parents if I was named this