When I first read the subject of your post, I wondered whether it was bow, as in a ribbon bow or "bow" as in "take a bow", then "bow wow" came next to mind, along with an English Bull dog. My brain is weird sometimes.
Reading your first combo, Bow
Marie, brought me right back to ribbon bows, specifically the big bow
Minnie Mouse wears on top of her head.
I very much like the sound of "bow" and I also love associations to archery, but that isn't what came to mind when I saw "Bow" as a name.
I love the
Beau spelling for boys and like the
Bo spelling for either gender (the feminine side of that associated with
Bo Peep and lambs).
Of your suggestions, I like Bow
Marie best, but I would like
Bo Marie better.
Davina and
Dina both feel better suited with
Bo as well; there's a kind of country sweetness there. While I like
Jayne very much, both Bow/Bo and
Jayne have only one syllable and there just isn't any flow in that combo.
If you are set on the *sound* of Bow/Bo as a first name, I really do think the
Bo spelling is best and won't be confused with "take a bow".
If you are set on "Bow" as a reference to archery, I would suggest trying it as a middle name. The meaning would be there for you and your daughter wouldn't be plagued with questions about ribbons.
If the reference to archery is really your focus, rather than the sound of "bow", how about considering a name associated with archery...
Artemis - she was also known as
Diana, though
Artemis is the name most likely to make people think of archery
Apollonia - feminine form of the Greek name associated with
Apollo, also an archer
Robin -
Robin Hood was male but
Robin works just fine for a girl
Merida - from the animated movie "Brave" was an excellent shot
Yumi - a Japanese name meaning "archery bow"
Hope this helps. :)
Edit: I began this reply before you added your options with Bow in the middle; got interrupted and came back later to finish. Of these options,
Marlene Bow is my favorite.
Lindy Bow reminds me of the
Lindy Hop (the dance) which brought the "take a bow" association right back, if that's of any help to you. Again, my brain can be weird; we've never even had an English Bull dog. ;)
This message was edited 1/20/2015, 10:35 AM