Melissa writes:
Hi! My husband and I are expecting our first child (baby girl) October 15. With only 10 weeks left, we still don’t have a name. We had a name picked out for a boy. Rhett Michael. Rhett just because I love it and Michael for my father. We do have a middle name picked out for her, Rene’…..which is my middle name. Our last name is Presley, so I’m trying to avoid names that end in ly, ie, ee (etc). I love the name Aubree, but I think it sounds to rhyme-y with Presley. I also don’t want anything that begins with a P, as her initials would be PP. I’m also trying to avoid names that are too trendy/popular. Here are some of the names we have considered:
Edyn Rene’ Presley-Maybe too short of a first name with a short middle name? And initials are ERP…?
Adele Rene’ Presley-initials ARP….?
Hayden Rene’ Presley -I feel like Hayden is very trendy with all the names that sound like it…aden, kaden, jaden etc
Bristol Rene’ Presley-This is a top contender right now. I love it. But for some reason, I’m just not SOLD on it yet. It meets all the criteria. I’m worried that it sounds too much like Crystal and I am not a fan of that name. Perhaps I’m just being to picky.Please help!
The main issue with the name Bristol, I think, is that it’s so tied to Bristol Palin: for most of us, that was the first time we’d heard the name, and then we heard about her a lot all at once. It can be a positive or negative association or both—it’s the STRENGTH of the association that’s the issue.
It’s even more of an issue because your surname has a strong association of its own—strong enough that I might avoid E names, to avoid “E. Presley,” and I think I would avoid first names ending in is/ys/ice. Putting Bristol and Presley together is like…Cher Affleck, or Clinton Pitt. And if you’re considering Rhett for a future son, that is a lot of famous associations for one family.
On the other hand, the strength of the Bristol association is rapidly diluting: the name has had a sudden increase in popularity.
2006: 30 new baby girls named Bristol
2007: 31 new baby girls named Bristol
2008: 65 new baby girls named Bristol
2009: 434 new baby girls named Bristol
2010: 513 new baby girls named Bristol
So by the time your little girl is in school, it’s likely that most people will have encountered Bristols other than Bristol Palin, and perhaps it’ll be more like the difference between naming a baby girl Reagan in 1984 and naming a girl Reagan now.
But if you’re avoiding trendy, I’d avoid Bristol. A trendy name doesn’t have to be popular: it just has to be tied to a specific time. It’s possible the name Bristol will become an enduringly popular choice, but if it doesn’t, it will be strongly tied to this very time period.
I suggest Brindle instead. It’s similar to Bristol, but doesn’t sound like Crystal and has no celebrity association. It also has the cute nickname Brin. Brindle René Presley.
Or Audra: it’s similar to Aubree/Audrey but without the rhymey problem, and it’s a name not even in the Top 1000. Audra René Presley.
Helena (the heh-LAY-nah pronunciation) has some of the sounds of Hayden, without the trendiness. It duplicates some of the sounds of the middle name; I like it, but tastes vary tremendously on this sort of thing. Helena René Presley.
If you like Edyn, I suggest Haven. Haven René Presley.
When I looked up Rhett in The Baby Name Wizard, I found the suggested sister name Lark. I think that would work well. Lark René Presley.
I wonder if you’d like Cleo? It’s oddly uncommon, considering the popularity of Chloe (same sounds in a different order). Cleo René Presley.
Or Jada. Jada René Presley.
Or Calla. Calla René Presley.
Or Madigan. Madigan René Presley.
Or one of my favorites is Geneva. Geneva René Presley.
I like Adele best from your list, and then Hayden. From Swistle’s suggestions I like Audra and Helena.
How about Raven? Raven Rene Presley. Or to go in a different direction stylistically, Annabelle Rene Presley?
Adele Rene sounds lovely with your surname, and is the least overtly trendy on your list I think.
I love the name Bristol for the city in the UK. I don’t love the other well-known reference Swistle mentioned. Brindle for me brings up the coat color found on dogs, etc. Like other readers, I’m also into Adele from your list.
I love Swistle’s suggestion Helena. It makes me think of Harry Potter (because of Helena Ravenclaw), which makes me think of Rowena (Ravenclaw), Ariana (Dumbledore), and Liliana or Lila/h or Lillian (Lily Potter). Lila/h reminds of Laila and Leah/Leah.
Adele reminds me of Mirielle.
Mirielle Rene seems elegant and French to me.
Bristol makes me think of other ‘place names’ like Holland and Adelaide and Brighton and Brea (Bray-ah).
Adele and Bristol together bring to mind Estelle. Estelle Rene.
Hayden is a bit like Layla. Layla Rene.
And for some reason, Colette (Collette) seems like it is the sort of name to end up on your list. Colette Rene.
All the best to you and your husband and daughter! Excited to hear what you choose!
Ooh love the above suggestion of Brighton. Brighton Rene’ Presley, love it! I like your choice of Adele. I also like the name Bristol, but unfortunately the Palin connection COMPLETELY ruined it for me. I prefer the “Eden” spelling of your first pick. For some reason I don’t feel the -ayden trend in the name Hayden. Not sure why because it’s definitely there, I don’t know, maybe to me it was an established name before the -ayden trend? I also really like Swistle’s suggestions of Lark and Haven.
Adele from your list is a great choice, as is Helena from Swistle’s (that is in my top ten!)
I love Adele, but it seems to have the same problem as Bristol. I think of the famous, newly popular singer Adele. Paired with the last name Presley who was also a singer might be a negative to using that name.
Adele Rene is pretty, but it may be the kind of name that is going to rise rapidly right now.
Adalyn Rene might also work well, and it has a lot of things similar with some of the names on your list.
Other names that might work nicely with Rene and aren’t too rhyme-y with Presley…
Lila
Scarlett
Arden
Brindle??? I’ve never heard that one before and have less than a positive reaction to it. But maybe Belinda René(e) Presley or Brynn René Presley?
Instead of Bristol, how about?
Bridget
Brooke
Brianna
Britta
Gabrielle “Brielle”
Sabrina “Brina”
Cambria “Bria”
I LOVE the name Adele, and I think it sounds great with your middle and last names. When I hear Brindle, it makes me think of dogs, because that can describe their coat color.
When I hear Adel, I think of Ada, which I thought would take off because of Ava. And while Ada is rising, not as dramatically as I thought it would. Ada’s biggest leap was between 2004, when it debuted in the top 1000 at 848 and 2008 when it stood at 596. In 2010 Ada ranked at 552. Who can predict what a name will do next, but so far the name looks like it may have hit a plateau or a period of a slow steady climb.
Ada also reminds me of a name I find surprisingly underused, Aida (ah-EE-də).
I also like suggestions of Calla, Helena, Mirielle, and Rowena.
A warning on Helena if you are concerned with prounounceability. A family member has a name very similar to this, and it is apparently rather tricky, whether read or heard.
You will get ‘HELEN-a’.
You will get ‘Elena’
You will get ‘Helen’
Very few people seem to jump to the correct emphasis on the second syllable.
Maybe it is becoming popular enough that people will be more familiar with it, but it hasn’t trickled up to my relative yet.
I love the names Helena and Adele, although maybe Adele Presley would be too singer oriented depending on how popular the singer Adele remains.
Giselle or Gisella would work with your last name, and reminds me a bit of Adele.
Bristol is ruined for me by the Palins, but maybe Holland? Brynn as suggested above would work as well, as would Quinn.
Good luck!
swistle: GREAT suggestions!!!
I really like the -en sound with your last name. What about Lauren? Lauren Rene Presley.
I will join the camp that says avoid Brindle – it makes me think of short, coarse dog hair, and gets the dictionary definition of ‘gray or tawny with darker streaks or spots’ – probably not an idea you want people to have when looking at your child. And also no to Bristol – a lot of people have the Palin association with that name, and I think it’s more often a negative one.
I like Adele best from your own list (I think it’s a classic enough name that even with the recent popularity of the singer it won’t be relegated to ‘trendy’ status), but really like Swistle’s suggestion of Audra for you – it works with your last name and you can always call her Audree as your nickname for her.
Adele is at the top of the list of suggestions for me! I also like names that end with -N for you. Perhaps you will like some of these:
– Taryn. Taryn Rene Presley. (489)
– Rowan. Rowan Rene Presley (469)
– Joslyn. Joslyn Rene Presley (709)
– Brielle. Brielle Rene Presley (338)
Bristol for me is very cute, but the association with the Palin’s would be enough for me to avoid.
What about …
Blair
Blythe
Bronte
Briar
Anela
Adler
Sienna
Odette
GL!
I think the problem with “b” names are the initials BRP…kind of looks like burp.
But if the middle name is flexible, I like Briony as another alternative to Bristol.
Liesl would be very pretty as well.
The Bristol/Crystal debate made me think of Kendall. What about Kendall Rene Presley?
Edyn Rene’ Presley- I don’t think the initials is a problem, but I think Eden is a nicer spelling. Edith Rene would also be very pretty- Edith and Rhett sound so sweet together!
Adele Rene’ Presley-initials are great, the name is lovely. I do think people will have associations with the singer, but if you don’t mind, that shouldn’t be a problem. Her voice is gorgeous afterall!
Should you mind, perhaps Adelaide or Adeline may appeal to you?
Hayden Rene’ Presley -super trendy and I prefer other names on your list. What about Jada?
Bristol – too Palinesque for me. What about Bridget,Brianna, Briar, Brisa, or Brenna?
Instead of Aubree, what about Abriana, or Abra, Ariel(le)?
Some other ideas:
Afton Rene
Elin Rene
Autumn Rene
Lila Rene
Aida/Ayda/Ayla Rene
Cara/Tara Rene
Hannah Rene