Sarah writes:
We are due with our second baby on the 12th April. We don’t know what the sex is and we already have a daughter called Amy Grace White. She was named for her maternal great grandmother and paternal great grandmother. My husband and I can’t seem to find anything we like this time around and have only come up with a few choices for either sex. We desperately need some help!
The only names we know we will use are Margaret as middle for a girl and Patrick as middle for a boy so we are looking for help choosing first names for both a girl and boy that will go with those middle names and our common and easy surname, White, while still sounding good with Amy.
Our top list for a girl are:
Stella Margaret White
Tessa Margaret White
Erin Margaret White
We would prefer to stick to a two syllable first name to tie in with Amy.For a boy we are struggling and really want to find something that just clicks! (I know, the holy grail of baby names!)
Top contenders are:
Cameron Patrick White
Byron Patrick White
Russell Patrick White
We would also like a name of more than one syllable for a boy.We live in a country that likes to shorten names to silly nicknames so have tried to stay away from longer names that have obvious nicknames but are really struggling to pick something that just sounds right! (that said both Cam and Russ are nicknames above!)
Any suggestions?
I love those girl name choices. Of the three, my favorite with Amy is Erin. I also like Holly: Holly Margaret White; Amy and Holly. And Erica is pretty: Erica Margaret White; Amy and Erica. And I love the name Laurel: Laurel Margaret White; Amy and Laurel. Or Nora would be nice: Nora Margaret White; Amy and Nora.
For boy names, if you like Cameron I wonder if you would like Callum? Callum Patrick White is handsome. I also like Carson: Carson Patrick White; Amy and Carson. Ooo, or Ian: Ian Patrick White; Amy and Ian. Owen: Owen Patrick White; Amy and Owen.
Let’s have a couple of polls over to the right, one for girl names and one for boy names. [Polls closed; see results below.]
Poll results:
Girl names (297 votes total):
Stella: 41 votes, roughly 14%
Tessa: 33 votes, roughly 12%
Erin: 78 votes, roughly 26%
Holly: 31 votes, roughly 10%
Erica: 16 votes, roughly 5%
Laurel: 44 votes, roughly 15%
Nora: 49 votes, roughly 16%
Boy names (282 votes total):
Cameron: 30 votes, roughly 11%
Byron: 16 votes, roughly 6%
Russell: 16 votes, roughly 6%
Callum: 46 votes, roughly 16%
Carson: 30 votes, roughly 11%
Ian: 76 votes, roughly 27%
Owen: 68 votes, roughly 24%
I am partial to Nora (my baby girl’s name), but I chose Erin as the better option to go with Amy. I think the flow of the vowels, Amy/Erin is easier to navigate. I chose Ian from the boy list for the same reason. Other boy 2 syllable names beginning with a vowel that sound nice as ________ Patrick White: Aaron, Ethan, Evan, Ezra, and (already mentioned by Swistle) Owen.
Good luck!
I also like Erin. It goes well with Amy.
For a boy, it was amusing to see you listed Byron. As I was reading and thinking about your criteria, I thought, “Ryan would be nice….” Then, “Or maybe she prefers Byron.”
Casey would work for either a boy or girl.
Your suggestions are great (as usual). I LOVE Laurel for them, and just in general.
For the boy I’m biased. I have cousins named Amy and Ian and I think it goes well together. The third in that sibset is Dana.
Dana Margaret White?
I think Erin goes well with Amy. And for a boy I chose Owen. Very cute name and I think it also goes well with Amy. As for Byron, am I the only one that has a little trouble pronouncing it properly? I seem to get tongue-tied. Good luck!
I have the same feelings regarding nicknames, so that was a huge factor in naming our son. We chose Kieran. I’m not sure if that goes well with Amy, and it isn’t really in the same category as your other name options, but I thought I’d toss it out there! You might like it too!
I voted Nora and Ian. I love how Ian even has 3 letters just like Amy! And I like Laurel but like Laura even more.
I have always loved the name Erin, but I would probably not name a child Erin today (at least in the US). As someone who has a somewhat anachronistic name, I get tired of people assuming I am older than I am just because of my name. The name Erin peaked as a name for girls more than twenty years ago, and that would bother me to have an “old” or a “mom” name. (I’ve never liked my own name for that reason). Aside from that, it is a lovely name that would sound good with Amy. :)
I am an Erin, so I am biased. I think Erin and Amy works though, largely because of what the previous poster wrote – it peaked in the early 1980s, and Amy was very popular then a bit before (peaking in the mid to late 70s at number 2 for four years!) so they have the same feel to them.
I would say that since both names are still in the top 120s or so for this year, and I know little ones named Erin at least (no Amys yet) that the timing issue if anything helps match the names more than deters one from Erin.
I would also suggest Megan,
Amy and Megan have a lot of similar feels and sounds without being matchy. Megan Margaret might be too much though. You could always have Margaret as the first name as well, Amy and Maggie.
I love Stella and I think it works. I wasn’t a huge fan until I heard someone calling their toddler Stella and I was hooked. For boys I like Ian the best, but I’m not crazy about it. I like Owen better, but I think Owen and Amy doesn’t quite work.
I don’t care for Erin, but I love all the other possibilities! I voted for Stella in the polls, but I also really love Erica. Tessa, Nora, and Laurel are all beautiful, too. I guess I’m not much help with a deciding vote!
For boys, Callum Patrick White seems like a winner to me. (My word verification was “calwn” – like Cal Wins?)Owen Patrick White would be my second choice.
Good luck picking a name!
I think Byron Patrick is perfect! I honestly don’t think you could do better than that! Sounds great with Amy, flows nicely with middle & last names, two syllables… I love it!
I don’t like the sound of Owen White. Too much “wuh” action going on.
I liked Swistle’s idea of Nora with Amy. I would also suggest
Elsa
Cleo
Nina
Leah
Daphne
Lila
Esme
Ivy
Gena
I do think Erin sounds nice but it’s somehow more “dated” than Amy. No offense to the Amys out there, which include my own sister! ;)
I love Swistle’s suggestions and previous commenters have already put forth some I was going to suggest (Meghan, Laura, Leah). And, wow, is it hard to find a longer boy’s name that won’t be shortened.
How about
Clara
Rachel
Cora
Kerry
Carrie
Malcolm (my fave)
Duncan
Preston
Marshall
I like Callum for a boy rather than Cameron. I’ve seen Cameron used for several girls lately so it’s starting to seem not so manly anymore.
Friends named their daughters Amelia (Amy) and Abigail (Abby). Another friend has daughters Lucy and Amy. I like both sibling combinations.
Other names I think go well with Amy:
Laura (which I find a better match than Laurel)
Polly (prefer to Holly, but I like Holly too)
Rachel
Claire
I voted for Owen until I read the concern about Owen White. So I changed my vote to Ian. I like Evan too.
Of the three girls’ names you’re considering, I like Tessa best and think it goes well with Amy.
I like Ian but the matching three-letter thing with Amy actually makes me like it a little less. Another option: Duncan Patrick White? Amy and Duncan.
For a girl, how about Sara/h? Sarah Margaret White.
I named my daughter Molly white. Everyone loves it and she finds it easy to say at only 15mths.