Sarah writes:
My name is Sarah and my husband’s name is John. We are expecting our second child, a daughter, on January 8. We have an almost 2 year-old son named Judah and our last name is Ramsey. We are struggling to name our daughter, and I would really appreciate your help. Her middle name will be a family name, and I’m not too concerned about how it works with her first name.
Our first choice is Luella, nickname Lulu, but I am concerned because it hasn’t been in the Top 1000 names since 1955. We prefer names that aren’t too popular, but I’m worried that there’s something about this name that makes it unpopular that I’m not seeing. Other names we like:
Talia
Elise / Elisa
Ruth – my least favorite, but we’ve been using this as her “interim” name and it has grown on me.I’d really appreciate any feedback you have on the names I’ve listed, plus any other ideas you have.
Thank you!
I think you should use Luella! If other people haven’t noticed it, it’s because they’re being dim: the combination of Lucy and Ella SHOULD be irresistible! I like it with Ruth as a middle name.
I Love Luella! I like Luella Flynn for a name.
I don’t find Lulu, which seems a bit frivolous (even with the given name Luella), a good match with the more substantial name Judah. For me, any of the other three names on your list would be closer in style to your son’s name, but because Judah ends in ‘a’, I might not choose a sister name also ending in ‘a(h)’. That would leave Ruth or Elise, both of which coordinate well with Judah due to all three having biblical roots (as do Sarah and John). I like Elise best with Judah.
Luella is one of my favorite names and I think it works beautifully wiith your last name and Judah as a brother. I also like Luana a lot.
Elise and Talia are also very beautiful! They are both understaded and underused names imo.
Ruth is my least favorite of the list but that is purely my personal preference. I think it could be a nice middle name.
Luella, nn Lulu? SWOON. What a great name. Please don’t hesitate to use it. It will be perfect with Judah and with any family mn you will choose.
Good luck!
Luella is wonderful with Judah and works has great nn options: Lu, Lulu, Ella, El, Ellie. Cute!
I also like Talia and your other options but if you like Luella, go for it!
Other names you might like if you decide not to go with Luella: Eloise, Eleanor, Heloise, Helen, Dahlia, and Mae (May).
Good luck!
I think the name Luella is lovely and is a fine match with Judah. The nickname Lulu gives me pause for anyone over 5 years old, though I think it’s lovely on a toddler.
Perhaps Lou (or even Ella or Lula) would be a better nickname for an older girl, but I also think she could easily be called by her full name.
Love love love Luella! I think you’re just way ahead of the game.
There was a contestant on Top Chef named Elia, which I thought of given your first two choices, but it looks like it is mostly used as a boy’s name. There was an alternate/similar name listed that might interest you: Ayala. Ayala Ruth. Ayala and Judah.
But…I *really* hope you go with Luella. Best of luck to you all.
It sounds like you really have your heart set on Luella, so I say go for it. I do love Ruth, though, so that would be my second choice for you or a first choice for a middle.
I love Luella NN Lulu!! Something to condsider with Elise is that she will likely often be called UH-leese instead of EE-leese. Judah with a little sis named Lulu is precious!
Ok – I do feel you should use Luella, but I can think of one reason why it may not be more popular:
It is the dim-witted niece on King of the Hill, voiced by the late Brittany Murphy. I understand King of the Hill isn’t necessarily a huge hit, but the name may have red-neck connotations for some people, such as the creators of King of the Hill who chose it for a red-neck character.
I almost hate to be a pain in the arse, because I know you really want to use Luella. I’m not bringing this up to suggest you don’t use it. I’m bringing this up so that you pick Luella with your eyes wide open, knowing the possible down-sides. For the record, EVERY name has a downside.
Besides, some people consider the term “red-neck” to be a badge of honor, like I think being a geek is actually a badge of honor, and therefore I love “geeky” names such as Linus, Dexter, etc. It is all a matter of perception.
The plunge from popular in the 1940’s to scarcely used could be due to Louella Parsons, a infamous gossip columnist. She was very influential. As in, she hated you, she could make the most promising starlet a no body overnight. So, not a very nice person.
However, she passed away close to 40 years ago. And if you love Luella, name your baby girl that.
Best Wishes