Middle Name Challenge: Sawyer ______ W.

Jennifer writes:

I’m due October 27, 2010. It is a girl. I am pretty set on her first name of Sawyer and want to pair it w/a feminine middle name. I am a single Mom & do not have family that I’d like to name her after.
My top middle names:
Ophelia, Fiona, Audrina, Violet

Ophelia is my favorite, but I’m not crazy about the initials SOW.

I went thru IVF 10 times & consider her nothing short of a miracle!
Can you make some suggestions?
Thanks much!

I agree: no SOW. I would also avoid SAW and SEW, but I am more picky than average about avoiding initials that spell things. (I might be okay with SEW, but SAW makes me think of the horror movie series.)

Sawyer Beatrix
Sawyer Bianca
Sawyer Camellia
Sawyer Cordelia
Sawyer Felicity
Sawyer Helena
Sawyer Jane
Sawyer Mirabelle
Sawyer Patience

I especially like Felicity for its meaning of luck and happiness. And Patience seems a fitting commemoration of how difficult she was to achieve.

Name update! Jennifer writes: “Sawyer Grace.”

25 thoughts on “Middle Name Challenge: Sawyer ______ W.

  1. Anonymous

    I tried to come up with a way to say this without sounding rude…but… Why do people have to steal great boys names for girls? Not only does it make naming a boy terribly difficult, but there are SO many great girls names out there. Your middle name options are beautiful. Why not use one of those for a first?

    Ophelia is SUCH a beautiful name. I have a “name crush” on it right now. Ophelia Violet would be an amazing name. Or maybe just use Sawyer as a middle name. Ophelia Sawyer, or Violet Sawyer. Violet Sawyer has that really cute mix of VERY feminine and delicate with total tomboy. It makes me think of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. Violet was at the top of my list if this baby had been a girl.

    Just my two cents.

    Reply
  2. Lisa

    I think I love Violet from your choices the most.

    For middle names I love:

    Sawyer Elizabeth
    Sawyer Marie
    Sawyer Kathleen
    Sawyer Jocelyn
    Sawyer Michelle
    Sawyer Nicole
    Sawyer Rebecca
    Sawyer Rose
    Sawyer Charlotte

    Congratulations on being pregnant! Can’t wait to see what you choose.

    Reply
  3. Alison aka Baby B

    Just a side note: I think Ophelia is beuatiful, but Hamlet is just so sad! Ophelia doesn’t meet a happy end, and the name is so heavily tied to the play, imo, I’m not sure how I feel about it as a first name. Middle name would be better. But, that’s just my opinion. And, yes, don’t give your little girl those initials! If you’re looking for a name from Shakespeare, I’d suggest Viola, Beatrice, Helena (on Swistle’s list), or Rosalind. I particularly like Sawyer Rosalind.

    I like Felicity, from Swistle’s suggestions. I would also add Verity to the list.

    Reply
  4. beyond

    I like Ophelia a lot, but I would avoid SOW as well.
    Sawyer Violet W___ is my favorite from your list, with Sawyer Fiona W___ a close second.
    How about:
    Sawyer Angela
    Sawyer Catherine
    Sawyer Miranda
    Sawyer Penelope
    Sawyer Victoria
    Congratulations and good luck!

    Reply
  5. Swistle

    Anonymous, I just deleted your comment: I feel it has now been FULLY ESTABLISHED that some people wish other people wouldn’t use boy names for girls. You may certainly choose not to help choose a girlish middle name for a girl named Sawyer, but doing nothing but objecting to the already-chosen name is not what this blog is about.

    Reply
  6. Carla

    Ooo – I love feminine names.

    Let’s see, as already suggested:
    Sawyer Cordelia has a nice flow and is similar sounding to Sawyer Ophelia.
    Sawyer Victoria works for me too.
    I also think Felicity is pretty.

    My ideas:
    Sawyer Caroline
    Sawyer Marena
    Sawyer Maria
    Sawyer Faith

    Good luck!

    Reply
  7. Samantha

    As someone who has a daughter named Ophelia, obviously I love that choice. But SOW isn’t the best. With that in mind, I adore the name middle name Patience. We chose a “fruit of the spirit” type name for Ophelia’s second middle name.

    I would also suggest Mira, since you said she was a miracle. I think Sawyer Mira is beautiful.

    Reply
  8. Kayt

    I think Sawyer is not the best choice for a little girl. Why not go with Ophelia Sawyer? I think it flows beautifully, gives you that masculine kick in the middle, avoids the SOW initials, and lets you use the names you like. I only mention it because you said you were ‘pretty set’.

    If you are super set on Sawyer in the first spot, I think Sawyer Violet or Sawyer Caroline would be a nice balance.

    Reply
  9. Patricia

    So many lovely names have been suggested for the middle name. Yet it doesn’t seem to me that most of then sound quite right with Sawyer as the first name. To me, Sawyer sounds so ‘occupational’ (“saw·yer – a person who saws wood, esp. as an occupation”), and I’m wondering if a girl given that name should be given an easy option in her middle name just in case Sawyer doesn’t suit her. So, maybe:

    Sawyer Susanna
    Sawyer Sabrina
    Sawyer Sadie
    Sawyer Serena

    For meaning and rhythm, I like Sawyer Felicity.

    I also like the idea of putting Sawyer in the middle but still calling her Sawyer since that name is the one you prefer.

    And I LOVE the suggestion of calling her Mirabel(le) “Mira” to celebrate the miracle that she is:
    Mirabel(le) Sawyer

    Best wishes!

    Reply
  10. Patricia

    Another idea is to *share* your middle name with your daughter, either as her first or middle name, calling her “Sawyer” either way.

    Or giving her a classic, short female first name with Sawyer as the middle, again calling her Sawyer. I especially like
    Sarah Sawyer “Sawyer” and also:
    Anne Sawyer
    Jane Sawyer

    CNN reporter Campbell Brown goes by her androgynous middle name, her first name being Alma.

    Reply
  11. Anonymous

    I was the origional “Anonymous” poster. Just to clarify, I only posted once! I never meant for anything to get started that might make the poster feel bad. I recently posted something and felt like people where a little harsh on me too. That is what I was trying to avoid! I mostly felt like her middle name choices were so great she should use one of the with Sawyer as the middle.

    Reply
  12. Swistle

    Anonymous- I was talking to a different Anonymous—which you can tell, because I tell them I deleted their comment, but you can see yours is still there. (Also, I tell them that they can’t just criticize a name without making suggestions, but you DID make suggestions, and in fact some very good ones.)

    When I deleted their comment, there were four comments on the post and THREE of them complained about “stealing” boy names for girls. One of those commenters has since deleted her own comment; the one I deleted was after hers, so the THIRD comment making that same point. And theirs not only criticized it, but did it meanly/harshley, and then didn’t give any other options OR help with the question, so I deleted it and commented to tell them why.

    Reply
  13. Patricia

    Jennifer, I noticed that your name and Sawyer both end in -er and I’m wondering if Sawyer appeals to you because of that similarity. If so, here are some other names that end in -er that you might consider:

    Piper
    Chandler
    Juniper

    I like the sound of each each of these for a little girl. Like Sawyer, Piper (a pipe/flute player) and Chandler (a candle maker or seller) are occupation names (as are many names ending in -er). Juniper is a close match with Jennifer, yet very different in etymology and popularity; “Junie” would be a darling nn.

    Piper Violet
    Juniper Audrey
    Chandler Fiona

    Reply
  14. Kate

    I love the suggestion of Violet Sawyer. To me Sawyer is a perfect middle name for a girl because it’s like a little secret kick of badassery that can be hidden behind the demure initial S. And of course, if your baby turns out to suit Sawyer perfectly, she can go by it in daily life. Perfect!

    Reply
  15. Anonymous

    We gave our daughter the middle name Beatrix, which means ‘blessed/she who brings happiness’ which fits her to a T. Sounds like this little miraculous one will do the same!

    Reply
  16. Adey

    @ Swistle – no problem. I realize now that I didn’t give any suggestions so I fully understand!

    If you choose Sawyer as a first name I like the sound of a middle name ending in “A” or “Y” (or something else just as soft). I think it helps soften a harsher first name and makes it flow nicely into the last name.

    I also like the suggestion of Jane Sawyer. Or Mira for the miracle.

    Reply
  17. Anonymous

    Sawyer Ava
    Sawyer Janae
    Sawyer Sebella
    Sawyer Nevaeh
    Sawyer Lorayne
    Sawyer Presley
    Sawyer Paisly
    Sawyer Amiya
    Sawyer Korben
    Sawyer Allassandra

    Reply
  18. Alex & Ryann

    Maybe you have already chosen a name, but my daughter is named Sawyer Anne. Her dad chose her first name and I chose Anne. I love that is short, classic, and truly feminine. It is easy to call her by both names to make it more girly.

    Reply
  19. Alex & Ryann

    Maybe you have already chosen a name, but my daughter is named Sawyer Anne. Her dad chose her first name and I chose Anne. I love that is short, classic, and truly feminine. It is easy to call her by both names to make it more girly.

    Reply

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