Amy writes:

My name is Amy and I’m 27 weeks pregnant and have a C-section scheduled for the 16th of November. I feel like I am going crazy trying to pick out a name. We have a three year old girl Celia Rose, and are expecting another little girl. I am so behind on everything to get ready for this second baby, which is so unlike me. I am usually so decisive and ahead of schedule! Yet for some reason this time my husband and I just can’t seem to pick a name! HELP!!

We thought we’d found her name three times now. The first name picked was Evelyn, but the longer we both thought about it the less we both liked it. The second name we liked (I think I liked it more than he did) was Phoebe, but once again a few weeks later we started re-discussing the name. Finally I really thought we had it when we settled on Charlotte, but both girls having a C name started to bug me, not to mention that Charlotte is a very long name to go with our rather long last name (Pinkerton) and the final straw was when my sister named her new dog Charlie.

So it seems that once again we are back to not having a name picked out. My husband doesn’t have a ton of ideas of his own, so it’s mostly me making endless list while trolling the internet that he later shoots down. We do not want a popular name (I am an Amy from the 80’s and my husbands name is Jack) and I guess I don’t want another C name- it makes me worry about the possibility of needing another C name if we had a third baby girl. I’d also like a name that had a nickname since I never had one but it’s not a deal breaker.

I have a list of lots of names we like ok, but I so love my first daughter’s name Celia, and it seemed that as soon as it was mentioned we both loved it and never looked back, I’d hate to feel like we settled on something we just like “ok” for our second girl!

As far as middle names go we really like Grace, but have thought of using Ann as well since it is my mother and my sister’s middle name. We’d also thought of trying to find another flower middle name to go with Rose but that’s harder than we thought it would be, not to mention the trouble I’d be in if we had a third girl!

Anyhow here are the names still currently on my list:

Charlotte- which I really do love, but I just don’t think it’s for us.

Evelyn- I love the nickname possibility but I just don’t LOVE it.

Everly- Just found this on your website; I like it but need more time to think about it.

Phoebe- My husband’s least favorite of the “almost” names.

Emma- I can’t help but think of the show Friends.

Genevieve- I love this name too- but a good friend just used it!

Vivian- This name was my top pick but the husband vetoed it.

Juliet- cannot find a great middle name for it and its meaning (down-bearded youth) kind of bugs me. It does have great nickname possibilities though.

Eleanor- I love this name and my husband loves this name. Unfortunately we named our dog Eleanor so it’s not like we can use it now! UGH! Not to mention my good friend is naming her baby Nora.

I really would like to have a named soon because it’s making me crazy. I could use all of this time I’m spending hunting for names on finishing (or starting- ha) the baby’s room! Thanks for your help!

You’ve got Evelyn and Genevieve and Vivian and Everly, and this is making me think you like E and V sounds, which makes me wonder if you’d like Eve. I think it has a lot of the sweetness and charm of Celia. Eve Pinkerton; Celia and Eve. Or Eva, unless that would make you feel pressured to use -a names for a future daughter. Eva Pinkerton; Celia and Eva.

Or Geneva. Geneva Pinkerton; Celia and Geneva.

I think Violet would work well, too. I think of it as similar to Charlotte, because of the similar endings and sweet vintage sound. It’s also similar to Juliet and to Vivian. Violet Pinkerton; Celia and Violet. Then you’d have a flower name as the first name, and could freeform for the middle name. Violet Ann? Violet Grace?

Anna would be pretty. Anna Pinkerton; Celia and Anna. I like that a lot. Anna Grace, maybe. Celia Rose and Anna Grace. Or Anna Charlotte. Or Anna Juliet.

Or if you’d like something a little fancier, Annabel. Annabel Pinkerton; Celia and Annabel.

If you like Everly, you might like Ellery or Emery.

Eliza is pretty and underused. (But like Eva, it might make you feel pressured to choose another -a name for a third girl.) Eliza Pinkerton is so charming I can hardly stand it—I wish that were my name! Celia and Eliza.

Or Eloise has much of the same sound as Eliza, but without the -a ending. Eloise Pinkerton; Celia and Eloise.

Another -a name possibility is Fiona. Fiona Pinkerton; Celia and Fiona. You know, I started this post feeling like your surname would be difficult to work with, but I’m changing my mind completely: it adds both dignity and whimsy, and that’s a combination that’s both valuable and hard to find. I feel like pressuring you to have three little girls and name them Celia, Eliza, and Fiona. (I put them in alphabetical order because I like that, but also look how the ‘i’ moves from fourth-letter to third-letter to second letter! And all three names have five letters and three syllables! HAVE THREE LITTLE GIRLS AND GIVE THEM THESE NAMES.)

I think Grace would work wonderfully as a first name. Grace Pinkerton; Celia and Grace.

I want so badly to suggest Ivy and Iris, but the I.P. (sounds like “I pee”) initials kill it for me.

Beatrix Pinkerton; Celia and Beatrix. I love the name Beatrix and wish more people would use it so I could swoon more often.

Alice Pinkerton; Celia and Alice. I just noticed what great twin names these would be: they’re made of the same five letters, rearranged.

Meredith Pinkerton; Celia and Meredith.

Elsa Pinkerton; Celia and Elsa.

Elena Pinkerton; Celia and Elena.

Name update! Amy writes:

Thank you and all your readers for all of your help and suggestions! I was totally stressed out about finding the perfect name. After reading your wonderful response and all the comments I fell in love with one of your suggestions. My main concern was that my husband wouldn’t like it. So I had him read your reply when he got home and tell me if he liked any of your suggestions. Amazingly we both ended up picking the same name. I was surprised and THRILLED!! After several weeks of “living with the name” we both still totally loved it and it became our second child’s name! So I am happy to announce that our sweet little Eliza Grace was born November 16th. We are completely in love with her name and it fits her perfectly. Thanks again!