Katherine writes:
We are having a baby girl due September 29, and we’re still really stuck on the name! We currently have two little girls- Lilly Samantha and Kira Madeline, who we had no trouble naming. Their last name begins with a C and ends in -ing. We want our baby girl to have a shorter first name and a longer middle name like her sisters. I’m leaning toword two syllables, to go with her sisters, but I’d be fine with one as well. Right now we are thinking about Alexandra and Charlotte for a middle name, but the big issue is the first name. My top two are probably Maya and Faith, but I don’t totally love either of them. I also really like the name Halle (I like that spelling rather than Hallie) but I’m worried it sounds to similar to Lilly. I love the name Hunter as well, but I don’t think it really goes with our others. Some other names we’ve considered are:
Bryn (my husband likes it, I don’t)
Abby (It seems too much like a nickname to me, and I don’t love Abigail)
Taylor (not sure if it goes with the others…and I don’t love it)
Nina
Leigh ( I LOVE this name, but I don’t like the idea of having two kids with the first initial)
Lea/Leah (same problem as Leigh)
Becca (I like Becca, I hate Rebecca, and Becca feels too much like a nickname)I also love Allison, Hannah, and Natalia, but these all seem too long to go with Lilly and Kira. I want them to be about the same length. I also love the name Niamh, which is Irish, and both my husband and I have Irish backgrounds, but I worry about naming my daughter something so uncommon that so few people will be able to pronounce.
I love the names Veronica and Victoria, though I think both are too long to go with Lilly and Kira.
I love Sydney as well, but again it seems to long for me, visually.
Thank you so much!!
I leaned heavily on the “Short and Sweet” section of The Baby Name Wizard (still linking to old edition because it seems like I need to link SOMEHOW to the book—but what the hey, Amazon.com? Ever going to list the second edition?), and then added a handful more your list brought to mind:
Alia
Anya
Ayla
Beck
Beckett
Bria
Britt
Cleo
Esme
Eva
Mia
Mila
Romy
Tessa
Tia
My favorites from that list are Alia, Bria, Britt, Mila, and Tia. I love the names like Anya and Eva and Romy, but I wonder if those sounds are a little heavy with Lilly and Kira (the book listed Roma instead of Romy, which is even heavier).
Name update 09-28-2009! Katherine writes:
Eden Alexandra arrived Friday, September 25, at 9 am. She is a beautiful, delicate little girl and her name fits her perfectly. Thank you so much, all of your suggestions and the comments from the readers helped to narrow down what we really wanted and it was a comment from a reader that put Eden in our head and made us fall in love with it. Thank you!!
How about Alison with one “L”? Makes it a little shorter and Alie is a great nickname!
What about Brynleigh? That way it could combine your and your husband’s favorites. Or maybe Breelyn?
Another idea is to play with the long “i” sound, such as Isla, or Violet, since Lilly and Kira have different pronunciations of the letter “i”.
I’m guessing mom isn’t big on names with nicknames. Alia is a great suggestion, but may be too much “L” with Lilly; likewise Mila. I know it’s really popular, but I think Ava is a great name for this family.
I vote for a non a or non y ending, since your other girls have that already, and a new first letter as well. A name that I love for your sibset (and it means dream or vision in gaelic) is Ashlyn. I love Lilly, Kira and Ashlyn together!
Other names with a different ending that might work are:
Megan: Lilly, Kira and Megan
Haden/Hazel: Lilly, Kira and Haden
Bridget: Lilly, Kira and Bridget
Teagan: Lilly, Kira and Teagan
Elise: Lilly, Kira and Elise
Taryn: Lilly Kira and Taryn
Nicole: Lilly, Kira and Nicole
Violet: Lilly, Kira and Violet (two flowers though – but cute!)
Brooklyn (too long)?
But I think Ashlyn is the best. From Swistles list I would favor Tia, Eva and Bria, although again, it sounds (to my ear) too much like Kira and not enough like Lilly…just my two cents.
The first name to pop in my head was Mia, I like that and Romy from Swistle’s list. I personally think you should stick with same style and go with a short and sweet name. Some others:
Avis
Dawn
Elsa
Macy
Nora
Good Luck!
What about Ava?
Ava Charlotte.
What about Ivy?
I like Niamh. People will get used to the spelling. I also like Ashlyn, but in the Gaelic spelling: Aisling (pronounced more like Ashleen). Or Aiofe (pronounced E-fah).
What about Britta? I like the combo of the Bria and Britt (and would suggest Brita but for the water filter) and it sounds similar to the other girls without being weird.
I was attracted to the names with different endings than your two girls – Bridget, and Esme. I also think Isla is a sweet name that fits the “style” of your girls’ names and is different enough from them even though it shares a similar ending.
Isla Charlotte
Esme Charlotte or Esme Alexandra
Bridget Alexandra
Good luck!
Out of what’s been posted I like Tessa Charlotte the best. Good luck!
How about Eve?
I like Ayla from Swistle’s list. Ayla Charlotte. Lilly, Kira and Ayla (two a sounds at the end though)
Tessa, Isla, and Avis are my favourite suggestions so far.
I can’t quite get a grasp on the style. Lilly and Kira are both fresh and short but Lilly feels much more old-fashioned to me. Every name I think of seems to match Lilly or Kira but not both.
Without worring about matching endings, how about:
Janna. Lilly, Kira, and Janna
Jenna. Lilly, Kira, and Jenna
Ada. Lilly, Kira, and Ada
Maeve. Lilly, Kira, and Maeve
Daphne. Lilly, Kira, and Daphne
Mona. Lilly, Kira, and Mona
Jada. Lilly, Kira, and Jada
Brea. Lilly, Kira, and Brea
I like the idea of each name having a different ending and beginning sound from the others.
I like Brooklyn, Hazel and Elise from the suggestions so far.
I love, love, love Esme, and it’s perfect with the other two names: Lily, Kira, and Esme. Fantastic!
From Swistle’s list, I like Anya best, maybe sp. Aine. From the comments, I think Ivy’s a good suggestion. I’ll add Rachel.
Love Maeve, Isla, Esme, Ava and Tessa from suggestions so far.
Ashlyn is also a favourite of mine from the names suggested. Recently I’ve been hearing the name Aislyn, which traditionally was pronounced “Ashlyn”, but now is being used with the pronounciation of “Ace-lyn” or “Ayz-lyn” (so, phonetically, pretty much, rather than gaelic). It’s growing on me.
Lilly, Kira and Aislyn.
Or maybe:
Gemma. Lilly, Kira and Gemma.
Chloe. Lilly, Kira and Chloe.
Moira. Lilly, Kira and Moira.
I’m a fan of the Esme suggestion. Esme Charlotte is lovely.
My favorite suggestions so far are Mia, Isla, and Gemma. Gemma, especially – so pretty! Gemma Charlotte sounds fabulous. I’d also like to suggest:
Cora
Paige
Brooke
Zoe
Remy
Hanna / Hana (potential alternatives to Hannah)
Any of these appeal to you?
Niamh is gorgeous. I love Niamh Alexandra, and it’s nice that it links to your heritage. If you’re worried about people mispronouncing it (which will happen), try spelling it in an Americanized way. Neev, Neve, Nieve, or Neave.
My favorite (besides the original Niamh, which is my ultimate favorite), is Nieve. Nieve Alexandra is pretty.
And Lilly, Kira, and Nieve sound very good together. It has the right sound, and it fits well with your other daughters names.
I don’t think a lot of the names on your list go too well with Lilly and Kira. Lilly and Kira are feminine and classic, while names like Bryn, Halle, Hunter etc are trendy and masculine. I can’t really see them in the same sibset. From your list, I think Nina goes the best. Its a very sweet name like your other two daughters’ names. I would definitly go with that.
I really like Hanna with your sibset and I think taking off that extra H makes it look short and sweet like the others.
Lilly, Kira & Hanna
Lilly, Kira & Ada/Adah
Lilly, Kira & Rory
Lilly, Kira & Ruby
Lilly, Kira & Sadie
What do you think?
Nina is my favorite option here. Lilly, Kira and Nina. Nina Alexandra and Nina Charlotte both work.
I’m not sure if someone has suggested it , because ihavent read the comments
but i really think Isla would fit well!
Esme or Isla… looooooove them:D
good luck!
From your list I like Nina the best. From Swistle’s list I like Tessa the best. When I was reading your letter, the first name that popped into my head was Cora. And then I saw that someone else suggested it. I say pick Cora! Pick Cora! The only problem with Cora is that it doesn’t go that well with the middle names you listed.
I will suggest:
Cora Felicity
Cora Genevieve – hate to suggest this because I’m stealing it from another Swistle reader who chose this for her baby, but I never forgot it because I love it.
Cora Penelope
I would also consider the longer names you like: Allison, Hannah, Natalia, Veronica, Victoria as possible middle names, but none of them go with Cora.
Perhaps:
Nina Victoria – a little sing-song-y but not too bad.
What about Ariel? It’s short enough and I think it goes well with Lilly and Kira. Or Eden.
Lilly, Kira, and Ariel
Lilly, Kira, and Eden
Good Luck,
Libby
oooo, I love Eden for this sibset, good pick. I also agree about the spelling of Aisling, though if Niamh is too much. I think Esme is great too, if much less common than the other girls names. Cora I think is too close to Kira, though a nice name in and of itself.