(My mother-in-law is in town this week, but the babies don’t wait and the questions are coming in faster than I can answer them, so I’ll post some for anyone interested to work on.)
Katherine writes:
My husband and I are currently expecting a baby girl, who will be induced on October 7, 2009. We already have a daughter, named Violet Claire. Violet is named after my husband’s beloved grandmother, and I have always loved the name Claire. We settled on her name well into my second trimester. Naming a second daughter is so much harder than I ever expected, and we are nowhere nearer finding her name than we were the day I found out I was pregnant. Our family’s names are Andrew (Husband), Katherine (Me), Violet (Daughter). Our last name is K_____is.
My preference, if possible, is to have each child have one family name and one name of their own. Though, at this point I am open to anything.
Names we have discussed that are still in consideration: Hazel, Esme, Pearl, Jane, Audrey, Arden, Anne, Amelia, and Molly.
Our reservations about Hazel are that both Violet and Hazel are colors and plants. Am I the only one that immediatly goes to that connection? Also, my daughters will be less than 2 years apart and I don’t want them the silly, little ‘flower’ children. I love Esme and first discovered it and fell in love with it from the J.D. Salinger short story years ago, but we worry about the ‘Twilight’ coorelation with Esme, though the name is much more common in my husband’s native country therefore not a problem there (though we live here). Jane is by far my favorite, but my husband goes back and forth. I worry that Molly is a great name, but may sound too young or demure later in life. Is that just me?
Names I love that my husband has vetoed: Imogen, Bronwyn, Olive.
Names my husband likes that I won’t use: Grace, Sophia, Olivia.
Family names that could be used as middle names : Ruth, Adaleen, Marie, Jacquelyn.
Names that we love but don’t want to use due to the duplicate ‘ette’ ending sounds are : Charlotte, Juliet, Cosette.
We are open to any other considerations. I am still waiting for that magic combination of names that will just fly off the page!
Name update 10-22-2009! Katherine writes:
Jane Mirabelle was born October 11th. I loved many of the suggestions your readers sent in (especially Amelia Louise) but Jane was the name I really had my heart set on since I found out I was pregnant, and I was thrilled when my husband committed and said he felt like it ‘fit’ her too. Mirabelle is a name of a favorite character in a favorite book, but I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to use it until I read it as a suggestion for another one of your readers as a middle name. Thank so much for your help!
HAZEL COSETTE! LOVE!
I don’t think that Violet and Hazel sound bad together AT ALL. I think they sound BEAUTIFUL together. So pretty! Different yet not weird!
~Jenny in MD
Hazel Cosette IS lovely, but Esme Adaleen gets my vote. Congrats!
What about Avery? It’s similar to names on your list but it has the “v” sound to tie it in nicely with Violet.
Avery Ruth Kalpakis.
Violet and Hazel didn’t bother me – I didn’t immediately go to “the flower” connection. My great grandmother was a Lily, she had sisters named Rose, Ivy, Pansy, and Blossom … just don’t go there :)
My eye immediately went to Hazel. It fits with violet without being too matchy.
I luuuurve Hazel. I actually picked up on the color thing first (after you mentioned it). The flower thing, I had to think about and then was all “Oh yeah.”
I don’t think it’s super obvious. My grandmother went to elementary school with triplets (much, much rarer back then) named April, May, and June. Violet and Hazel’s connection is subtler for sure, and I think many, if not most, wouldn’t pick up on it. And if they did, I think it would be less “Oooh, weird flower children” and more “Oh, that’s interesting.” I feel that their biggest connection is that they are sweet, old-fashioned names.
I agree that Hazel sounds really nice with Violet. I also LOVE Audrey. Audrey Ruth. Audrey Marie. I really like that with Violet.
What about Julia or Julie? I like them both with Violet, and I saw that you like Juliet.
Good Luck!
Libby
I think Hazel is great. And didn’t think of the plant/color thing at all! Of course, I also like Jane :)
Julia is a good name too as the previous comment suggested!
I love Hazel, and I don’t think it is too matchy with Violette at all.
I am also a big fan of Esme and I don’t think the Twilight connection is anything to worry about. Esme is a supporting character in the series anyways, and Twilight has such a teenybopper fan base that I wouldn’t give it a second thought.
Esme Charlotte or Hazel Charlotte. I think both sound fantastic with your family’s names.
i like esme adaleen, very sweet
Amelia Ruth would be my pick. So pretty, and it sounds great with Violet Claire.
From your lists I like Esme a lot… Like Violet, it sounds feminine without sounding too “frilly” .
I am actually really loving the name Ruth as a first name lately. The nickname Ruthie is adorable for a little girl.
What about Juniper?
I read the title as Baby Girl Gap Khakis!
Libby read my mind–Audrey Ruth! Audrey is such a great name, but in no way overused.
My favorite combination from your list is Amelia Ruth. Love it! It sounds so cute with Violet Claire!
I just have to say that I recently thought about Violet and Hazel and a possible sister-set (should we ever have one), because I love the fact that they have a theme that isn’t going to be totally obvious to most people. I would never name my kids something matchy that everyone would immediately jump on, but I think Hazel and Violet is subtle and beautiful!
AMELIA LOUISE? I think Violet Claire and Amelia Louise K_____is look and sound perfect together and apart. But there isn’t the family name factor in it..
AUDREY MARIE also jumps out at me, and this includes a family name.
Violet Claire and Audrey Marie K_____is aren’t matchy, but go together in a ‘contrasty’kinda way.
Hope I could help, good luck :)
Libby, Carolyn and I are on the same wave length. I jumped right to Audrey Ruth, too. Audrey is a beautiful name that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, imo. Second, Hazel would also be lovely. I did not immediately make the color/flower connection, but thought it went well with Violet.
I don’t think Violet and Hazel are too matchy at all. They are both well-established as names; even with violet the flower connection doesn’t spring to mind the way it would with an unusual flower name (for example, Pansy or Juniper or Blossom. I didn’t even know that Hazel WAS a plant, and I think the color-connection is subtle, not something that would spring to mind for most people. They sound really nice together.
Hazel, Jane, Arden and Amelia are my favorites from you under consideration pool. Ruth is my favorite and Marie my second favorite from the middles list.
Hazel Marie or Hazel Ruth
Jane Adaleen
Arden Marie or Arden Ruth
Amelia Marie or Amelia Ruth
Another possibility is to move Jane to the middle slot since you love it and your husband is iffy on it.
Hazel Jane, Arden Jane, etc.
A few more ideas, though, I’m not sure you need them: Clementine, Gabrielle, Rhiannon or Zoe.
Good luck!
Im a fan of Hazel, I think everyone made a good case for why it fit well but wan’t too matchy. The question is what you do if you have a third girl in the future! I also like Audrey but not with Ruth, too many R sounds together for me. Audrey Marie is a little singsongy, but cute, but Audrey Jacquelyn is quite nice I think. I also think Juliet is far enough removed from Violet to use it if you love it.
I also love Arden Jane or Jane Arden. Arden is very cool.
Esme Ruth is very sweet! Being someone who changed her own 1st name, Hazel may not like her own name if you choose Hazel…. think about it.
I ditto Esme Adaleen, but I also like the Avery idea.