One of my readers is looking for a name for her baby girl. The child's middle name will be Roberta, and her surname name will short and start with the letters "Ch." So far, the top contenders for the first name spot are Constance and Karly.

These two names are pretty different. Constance was popular from the 1920s through the 1950s; Karly has been moderately popular since the early 1990s (thanks to Carly, popularized by Carly Simon in the 1970s). Constance is a mature-sounding virtue name; Karly is a more informal-sounding contemporary name.

They do have some things in common, though. Both names have 2 syllables (with a stress on the first syllable) and start with the same sound. Of course, there are many other factors to consider besides basic construction. After brainstorming for a while, here are some suggestions I came up with:

Audrey Roberta Ch-
Daphne Roberta Ch-
Reason: They have the same ending as Karly, but the formal feel of Constance.

Bailey Roberta Ch-
Riley Roberta Ch-
Reason: They sound contemporary like Karly, and have letters in common with Roberta (consonance).

Beatrice Roberta Ch-
Prudence Roberta Ch-
Reason: They sound old-fashioned like Constance, but can be shortened into catchy nicknames. (Also, Prudence is another virtue name.)

Gracie Roberta Ch-
Reason: It's a one-off virtue name (based on Grace) that's become extremely popular in the last few years.

Bella Roberta Ch-
Trudy Roberta Ch-
Reason: These nickname-names have old-fashioned roots, but an updated sound.

Cadence Roberta Ch-
Candace Roberta Ch-
Reason: These sound similar to Constance, but have a younger feel.

Karla Roberta Ch-
Kelly Roberta Ch-
Reason: They're close to Karly, but not as "trendy" sounding (especially Karla).

Daisy Roberta Ch-
Reason: It's a flower name that manages to bridge the gap between quaint and contemporary.

I hope my reader finds these helpful. I've started a thread for suggestions in the forum, so be sure to stop by and share your thoughts!