R. writes:
I’m due with my first baby, a girl, on June 1st & I haven’t been able to find a name I like yet. Despite the fact that she could arrive any time now, I’ve really only started thinking about names in the past few days. I’ve been having a really horrible time of it these past 9 months so names haven’t really been on my mind till now. You see, the very day I found out I was pregnant was also the day I lost my husband to a freak heart attack (he was only 30 and in seemingly great health. I’m still in shock). We had been trying to conceive for 6 months, but everything happened so fast that he was gone before I ever got to tell him about the baby.
We were always both a little superstitious & so had decided not to discuss baby names until I was pregnant for fear of jinxing ourselves. Sadly this means that I have no idea at all what kind of names he would have liked.
If this baby had been a boy I wouldn’t be having this problem as I would have named him after his father. Since it’s a girl though, I’ve been thinking that a nice way to honor my husbands memory would be to give her the same initials as her daddy. My husbands name was Phillip Gregory & our last name is Moore. I think I’ve decided on Genevieve as the G middle name, but for the life of me I can’t think of a girls name that starts with the letter P that I like at all.
P names that are out because I just don’t like them:
Paris
Paige
Paloma
Pamela
Pansy
Patricia
Paula
Phoebe
PhyllisI’m having lots of trouble even finding more P names than this! Please help, any & all suggestions welcome!
I think the name Philippa would be an excellent choice. It’s a name I love already, and in this case it seems like the perfect way to honor her father Phillip. It goes beautifully with Moore and with Genevieve: Philippa Genevieve Moore. It has cute nicknames, too: Pip and Pippa.
Other P names to consider:
Pandora
Patience
Pearl
Penelope
Philomena
Piper
Polly
Priscilla
But I lean strongly toward Philippa.
I also love Phillipa and its nicknames (Pippa Moore sounds like such a great kid). I also love the name Petra.
I think if I were in your place, I would pick a beautiful first name that you love, whatever the first letter happens to be, and make the middle name “Phillip”. It kind of sounds like one of those last names used as middle names, so people probably won’t even bat an eye at it, and it’s a literal tribute to your late husband. And since, sadly, you won’t be having any more children with Phillip, this is your one chance to use the name, so go for it.
First off, let me say how sorry I am for the loss of your husband and I think it is a wonderful idea to honor him by using his initials in the name of your daughter. I like Swistle’s suggestion of Phillippa, mostly because I love the nn Pippa. Also, I think Piper is a great suggestion. My neice is named Piper and I love the name and think it sounds great with Genevieve. I saw this name in the Namepedia, it is a “creative” spelling and it might be a stretch but it’s a nice name, Phylicity. Pilar and Presley are good “P” names. I think my favorite might be Priya though. Its just such a pretty name that sounds beautiful with Genevieve and when I heard the meaning of it, I thought it fit perfectly. It means beloved. I wish you best of luck with the new light of your life that will be arriving soon.
I like the suggestions Phillipa, Penelope and Piper, but if you don’t care for them, how about an F name since Phillip starts with an F sound? Felicity, Fiona, etc.
Good luck and I’m sorry for your loss.
I love the idea of Philippa with the adorable nicknames of Pip and Pippa! My thoughts are with you, R.
I recently heard the name Paisley, and while it is a pattern, I think it’s a cute, spunky name, too!
I’m so sorry about your loss, though those words seem too small to cover what you must be going through.
I vote for Philippa, too. It’s a beautiful name and tribute to your husband.
Petra
Poppy
The first thing I thought was “Phillipa!”. It’s perfect.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Please accept my best wishes.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t begin to imagine the pain. I pray that this little girl will be such a blessing for you.
I love the name Penelope. What about Psyche? It’s a litle out there, I suppose, but I’ve been toying with the idea of it for a while now. And as long as I’m out on a limb with the mythological names, what about Persephone?
First off, I’m heartsick at your loss, and can understand why you would be especially concerned about finding a name your husband would have liked.
I also immediately thought of Philippa. The next name that came to mind was Petra. I’ve also seen Pippa as a given name as well as a nickname. I agree Philippa is your best bet.
If none of the options mentioned in this post appeal to you, I think the next best, albeit indirect, way to honor your husband could possibly be naming the baby after a close female relative of your husband’s. His Mom is the most obvious, but if he wasn’t close to his Mom, maybe he was close to a Sister, Aunt, Grandmother, etc.
Phillipa is perfect, imo, but I also liked the suggestion of Paisley. I am so sorry that you lost your husband, and never got to tell him about your baby. I am sure that he would approve of anything you choose because he loved you.
Another option that I love that hasn’t been suggested yet is Portia, both for its shakespearean reference and its beauty/originality. Good luck with everything and I hope for a safe and happy delivery of your new baby girl!
I love Philippa, nn Pippa! That is on my list, ever since I met a Pippa in real life. And it has so much meaning for you.
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband. I’ll be thinking of you and your little girl.
What about Parker, Peyton, or Pryor? P names are hard, but I completely understand your reasons for wanting to use one. So sorry for your loss.
Oh my…
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope you are able to find the perfect name!
I would like to suggest Payton, Presley, Padme, Parker, Paisley
Philippa is perfect. Pip is an adorable nickname and has a nice resemblance to Phillip.
i’m a fan of Parker, Pasha, Peri, Phaedra, and Presley
Oh, I am so sorry for your devastating loss!
I just wanted to comment on Philippa, since it is my eldest daughter’s name. It is such a perfect way to honor a Phillip that you love that when we lived in the UK (where the name is more common) people often asked me if my daughter’s Daddy’s name was Philip (it isn’t, we just loved it!) We have called her Pippa since day one, and have had nothing but very positive reactions to her name.
Also, I wanted to comment on the spellings, as you may have noticed people suggesting seemingly random combinations of numbers of l’s and p’s :) From my experience, the two most common spellings are Philippa (my daughter’s name), which is the most common in the UK, and Phillipa (two l’s, one p), which for some reason seems to be the most common spelling in Australia, where it is also a fairly “normal” name. I have occasionally seen it with two l’s and two p’s, but it’s not the norm. I thought maybe for you, The Phillipa spelling would be the most direct way to pay tribute to your late husband.
I love Piper, Peyton/Payton, Presley, and Parker.
And I love that you are using your late husbands initials.
Best of luck to you and your new bundle of joy. : )
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I love Phillipa, nn Pippa, and I also think Piper is delightful. Both names are lovely with Genevieve and your last name. I’m also a huge fan of Penelope (quite a mouthful with Genevieve, but I don’t think I’d let that stop me).
I’m so sorry for your loss. Long distance hugs. That is tragic.
I thought I’d throw out a bunch more “P” names into the pot. [I admit that I haven’t read other comments.]
Paisley
Paola
Parker
Paulina
Payton
Penelope
Pepper
Perla
Persephone
Petra
Poppy
Presley
Priya
I think Pippa Moore is darling. Penelope Moore is precious, as well. Best of luck to you.
PS to my previous comment…
Probably stating the obvious here, but since I had never known the name Philippa before living in the UK and a lot of people do mispronounce my daughter’s name, I thought I would clarify the pronunciation. It’s pronounced PHIL-ippa, with the accent on the first syllable, not phi-LIP-a as every doctor’s office in America seems to think – LOL!
My first thought was Phillipa the minute I read that. I think its a lovely name, and amazing way to honor your husband. I am so sorry for your loss.
Piper and Portia are my favorites.
Sorry to hear you don’t really like Paige, as it’s my favourite P name, personally. Hm.
Out of the other suggestions (from Swistle & commenters), I like Peyton, Penelope, or Piper.
I love the name Phillipa, with the nickname Pippa…so cute!
Also, I have a friend named Phillipa who is from the UK, and she pronounces it Phil-LIP-a, so that is how I say it. It must be another one that can be said either way.
If you don’t go with Phillipa, I would second Penelope (rising) or Portia (rarely used but cool!). Two unusual Ph names are Phaedra or Philomena.
I’m sorry for what you are going through, I think using your husband’s initials are a perfect way to honor him & your daughter will really appreciate the connection as she gets older!
I have to say I agree with a lot of the posters I think these are some great choices:
Philippa (Pippa)
Parker
Peyton
Penelope
Poppy (I used to live in the UK & this name is pretty popular there)
Here are some other options:
Provence
Prue
Paxton
Posie
Peony (which I read somewhere means ‘healing’, so it seemed appropriate)
Congratulations on your new little one!
What about Philomena? Philomena Genevieve Moore is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s very pretty. :) My second choice would be Petra Genevieve Moore.
Phillipa with or without nn Pippa,
Piper,
Paisley,
Penelope perhaps with nn Penny, and Portia
are my favourite suggestions. Some other ideas
Pascale
Patrice
Paulette
Pauline
Hm. These are all French, which go nicely with Genevieve, I suppose.
Posie
Pacey
Parker
I also like the suggestion of Phillip as a middle name.
What an awful tragedy. I think Philippa is a beautiful name.
I will echo the comment that Philippa is not only a precious way of honoring her father, but a lovely name in its own right. And I, too, cannot resist the nickname Pippa! Adorable!
I also want to add that I’m so sorry for your loss. My own father was killed in a freak accident when I was 8 months old, and knowing that he chose my name makes me cherish it all the more.
Prayers & good thoughts for you and your daughter.
Philippa…is there a better tribute than that? And it is SO unique!
Please let us know!
I am so so so sorry for your loss – and can only imagine how devastatingly tough the last nine months have been for you, I was going to suggest Parker – but I LOVE Phillipa – and the nickname Pip – or Pippa – and I think you are honoring your husband in a wonderful way, and he must be smiling down on you. I pray that your new little miracle will help you during the healing process, and know that she will bring you much joy, as my sweet baby girl does me.
My favorite P name is Pryne (Hester’s last name in The Scarlet Letter). I think it works well as a dignified, feminine first name.
Pryne Genevieve
I know you will choose the best name for your daughter, whatever you decide.
I like the suggestion of Pacey. It’s cute and similar to the Macy/Lacey/Stacy names.
Swistle’s suggestion of Pearl is just lovely.
I’m so sorry about your loss.
I’ve always loved Pia.
I think Philippa is a lovely tribute to your late husband, if you decide to go with that.
Of the other suggestions, Piper is my favorite.
Some other “P” options could include:
– Plum
– Primrose
– Petal
– Portia
– Psyche
– Priya
– Persephone
– Pandora
– Paulina
– Priscilla
– Parvati
Best of luck to you and your new baby.
A few more for your consideration:
Palma, Palmira, Paz, Pazia, Paziah, Padma, Petula, Pallas, Pilar and Petronella.
R., I am so sorry for your loss and for the very sad timing.
I agree that Philippa is a great choice, and there is an adorable little Pippa in my daughter’s 1st grade class. But I can also see how it might be too literal, somehow, for your comfort, and maybe that’s why you’d thought of using just your husband’s initials for your baby girl.
I like Piper, Polly, and Poppy. You could also try Phyllida with the nickname Liddy. According to nameberry.com, Marshall means keeper of horses, which ties into the meaning of Philip. Another way to go although unfortunately there aren’t many ideas out there if you go that route.