Jenn writes:
Our 2nd little girl is due April 20, 2011 and we can’t decide on name for her. We have one child, Aubrey Lynn, and are trying to find a name that goes well with Aubrey and a name that goes well with our last name (Michael) and that’s really all our requirements (oh and we don’t want it to rhyme w our names Jenn & Nate). I am also having a hard time with the middle name. At first we were set on Lee because Aubrey has my middle name (Lynn) and Lee is the middle name of both grandmothers. However, I don’t want the middle name to dictate the first name if that makes sense, I am open to other middle names, I really just want it to go with the first name. I am more open to different names that the hubby is but he surprises me sometimes with what he likes so I hesitate writing this.
First names we are considering:
Reagan (has been our top name for awhile and like the way Reagan Lee sounds)
Claire (really like this name but don’t like it w/ middle name Lee so need to find a middle name to go with it)
Macy (not sure about the -ie sound….don’t want it to be too cute w Aubrey)
Elliot (hubby not sure about this one, is it too masculine for a girl?)
Mckenna (I like it but hubby does NOT)
Presley (again not sure about the -ie/ey sound w Aubrey )
Ruth
Emily
Addison
Avery (we were going to name Aubrey this but not sure about having our kids names start w the same letter? We think we want 3 kids:)Names that are out bc of friends kids/animal names/relative names etc:
Molly
Lucy
Hannah
Sophia
Sarah
SadieThanks for any help and suggestions!
Elliot and Presley both read male to me with a sister Aubrey. Aubrey is just a little too female-identified.
I think Reagan Lee is great with Aubrey Lynn. You should go for it if you both like it!
Reagan Lee definitely gets my vote! Good luck!
Reagan Lee has my vote too. I wouldn’t do Avery with an Aubrey; I find them too close. I wouldn’t do Elliot either, because I generally find it masculine, plus with Lee and last name Michael, I would want something that is at least generally used for girls, even if it is more androgynous sounding. I like Emily as well, but not with Lee. I think a name ending with a “y” or “ie” is okay, but I like the three syllable names a little better with Aubrey.
You might also like, Peyton, Quinn (but probably not with Lee), Rebecca, maybe Marion?
Good luck!
I really like Reagan as a sib name for Aubrey.
If you liked Avery and currently like Emily, what about Emery? If McKenna is out, what about just Kenna, or Kinley?
Other ideas:
Alexa
Clara
Cora
Bridget
Sylvia/Sylvie
I wrote a longer comment in response, but my internet freaked out and I lost it. So here’s the short version:
Clara instead of Claire? Clara Lee is cute!
Reagan Lee is adorable! I’d think about using the more-modern Leigh spelling instead of Lee, though, to feminize it on legal documents.
Emily and Ruth are beautiful, but awkward with Lee. What about honouring a third+ relative by combining their name(s) with Lee? Ex: Ken+Lee=Kenlee/Kinley, or Lee+Nora=Leanora/Lenora. Ruth Kinley or Emily Lenora work very well. You can also use a variant of Lee to still honour your grandmothers, as well. Other names beginning with the “lee” sound: Leona, Leanne/Leanna, Leonie, Leticia, Lenai, Lila/Leela, Leith, Leah, Leta/Leto, Liesel.
How about Vivian & Aubrey? I’m on the fence about Vivian Lee or Vivian Leigh though because of Gone With the Wind.
I don’t normall *love* the name Reagan, but I LOVE it for you. The middle name is not the thing I find is bothering ms with names: it’s your surname. Elliot is a good name but unlike Micah or Peyton I think of it as exclusively masculine. Add “Lee Michael” and it’s just so boyish. If you like androgynous names, I would stick with Reagan. This I also my favorite name when paired with Aubrey.
I would steer clear of names ending with -ie or -y if you really want Lee in the middle name slot. I was going to suggest Paisley (how cute is Paisley Michael?!) but Paisley Lee is hard to say!
Shoot, ignore the typos. I’m on my iPhone! Also, I would like to correct myself: I meant to steer clear or names ending in -lie or -ly (Emily, Kenley, etc).
I really like Reagan Leigh too! The suggestion for Clara Leigh is sweet.
I like Macy but not this spelling. Maisie spelling dosen’t remind me of the department store.:)
I don’t like Elliot for a girl. I like Presley and Emily but with a different MN.
Too bad DH doesn’t like Mckenna. I like it with Aubrey.:)
Avery is too similar to Aubrey. Addison is works fine though.:)
Other names I’d like to suggest are:
Emerson Leigh
Delaney
Lila
Riley
Maggie
I hope that helps. Aubrey is a beautiful name and you have a lovely list of names to choose from.
I definitely think you need a name that is “all girl” with your last name being traditionally a man’s first name. Although Reagan would probably be considered an androgynous name, I don’t think I’ve heard of any boys having that name, so I think that’s a great choice. I might pick a different middle name though- something more girly. I like Reagan Claire. Or maybe you have another family name you could use?
My favorites from your list are Claire and Ruth. Both sound a bit choppy with Lee (esp. Claire) so I liked the suggestion of lengthening it to Clara or the one of using a name with the Lee-sound. I like Liana and Liesl but I I wonder if they are getting too far afield from the original name to still be considered a namesake. Maybe Lee-Ann where you can still see and hear “Lee” in the name would work. Claire Lee-Ann and Ruth Lee-Ann sound good to me.
I wouldn’t use Elliot for a girl.
Oh, and one suggestion. Since you like Sarah & Sophia but can’t use them, how about Sylvia? Sylvia Lee is lovely.
I think all your choices are wonderful, but in case you’re not thinking about it, the name Reagan can look like a surname, and with the last name Michael, be prepared for the names to get switched a lot. (As in Michael Reagan. Just ask ask my friend Lee Jordan, who also shares his name with a Harry Potter character.) On the other hand, if that doesn’t bother you, it is still a great name.
Also, going with Reagan Lee for a second girl is quite a departure from Aubrey Lynn. With Reagan Lee Michael, that is a group of three traditionally male-looking names. Aubrey Lynn is decidedly feminine. For the middle name, I personally would pick Leigh or another more feminine name, at least for symmetry. This might not matter to you, though.
In response to the above comment, as someone who has the problem with her surname being confused for her first name (ALL the time!!), it really isn’t that hard to deal with. My last name is a very typical, girly name that was extemely popular the year I was born. My first name is more masculine-sounding and wasn’t even in the top 500 in my birth year. So, more often than not, I have to correct people. It is more of a funny thing that happens, than a terrible annoyance. I love my full name!
Reagan is my favourite.
Elliot is definitely masculine.
Perhaps you would like Emma Lee. I have a friend named Emma-Lee and it sounds just like Emily. You could call her the full name or just Emma/Em.
Avery and Aubrey seem too close to me, even though I like the name.
If you like McKenna you might like Makaia (Kaia). Or just Kenna.
I keep going back to Reagan though – definitely my favourite!
Reagan Michael sounds like a boy to me… ESPECIALLY with a sister named Aubrey (what a great name!!).
Macy is a nice balance with Aubrey. Macy Michael is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! Macy Leigh is lovely, feminine, and has dignity.
Another name perhaps to throw on to the pile: Darcy. It, too, was a man’s name 150 years ago (like Aubrey) but is all girl now! It’s less common and has a classic charm.
Best wishes as you anticipate the arrival of your newest little joy! Can’t wait to hear what you pick. :)
A friend of mine has an Aubrey & Addison and I think they sound so cute together!
I also like Claire with Aubrey.
I’m another vote for Reagan. I have only known girls/women with this name so don’t think it sounds at all masculine. I really like Reagan Lee.
I also thought the earlier suggestion of Emerson was great. Aubrey and Emerson sound such a good pair.
If you want a middle name to go with Claire how about Avery from your list? I agree its too close to Aubrey to use in the first name slot, but Claire Avery Michael sounds good to me.
I wonder if you might like Meagan, pronounced MAY-gan to rhyme with Reagan. I don’t always like alliteration, but I think Maegan Michael is cute, and I like the repeating -ae-.
I think Elliot is an adorable name for a girl, but you have to expect to get some questions about gender.
I love the sound of Reagan Lee. And you’ve gotten some great suggestions – Clara Lee, Emma Lee, and Emerson Lee are among my favorites, based on the names on your list. I think you’re right to stay away from -ie sounds, given that you have Aubrey and you’re considering using the middle name Lee.
Other names that come to mind based on your list are:
Nora Lee
Anna Lee
Margot Lee
Gwyneth Lee
Good luck!
If you like Macy and Lucy, would you like Lacey? I think Lacey Lee is adorable. Grace could be good too but Grace Lee does not work.
Aubrey and Lauren (or Laurel) make a good pair, but not Lauren Lee. Maybe Lauren Grace?
Good luck
Maybe something very simple and very obviously feminine would help with the surname. Jane Michael, for example.
I like Meagan too.