Emily writes:
Help? We are due to have our third child in four weeks, our one and only daughter as we have two boys already. One would think I’d have a girl’s name left over from the first two rounds, but I feel like I may have outgrown our original girl’s name (Olive). My sons are called Henry and Casper, and I’m looking for something short and sweet but am struggling to find one name that speaks to me. Beyond short and sweet, we’d like to use my husband’s late mother’s name, Eliza, probably as a middle name but possibly as a first name to then use the middle name as what we call her (ex. Eliza Lake B____ton). I wouldn’t mind including my grandmother’s name, Lily, as well, but I’d like to maintain creative license on the name we actually call her. Is four names overkill?! And aside from that, just to make the job even harder the parameters get smaller as I’d like the name not to end in a “y” sound, like Henry, an “er” sound, like Casper, and I’d prefer it didn’t rhyme with our last name, which starts with a B and ends with “ton”. What on earth is left?!
Names I’ve been mulling over so far….to be used as a first or a middle name with Eliza (and possibly but not necessarily Lily Eliza)
Tate
Read (a family name)
Lake
Plum
Eve
Olive
Lou
Elery
Indigo (Indigo Lily Eliza B_____ton, call her Indi, such a mouthful?)Please guide me, Your Excellency! I’m so thrilled to finally have my baby girl, I just wish I knew what to call her!
Many thanks
I think four names works fine. My own kids have four names each, and it’s been less of a hassle than I’d expected: even with five kids, I’ve only had to make two total corrections on forms. And it seems like a good solution here, where you have a lot of names you’d like to use. But I think ideally it works best to keep Name Irregularities at one per customer. So if you do give her four names, I suggest having the first name be the one you call her. Or if you do call her by her middle name, I suggest keeping her names down to three instead of “I go by the first of my two middle names.” (Again, this is just ideally: sometimes other considerations are more important, and worth it.)
I wouldn’t use Lily as the first name with the middle part of your surname [the surname is hidden for the post, but I can see it in the email]: it runs together rhymily for me with all the repeating sounds. I think it can work as a middle name, but I think it works better if separated from the surname by Eliza.
I’m also not sure if it will work well to use both Eliza and Lily, especially with the similar sounds of your surname, and especially if you also decide to use Olive: that’s four names in a row with LI. Might you have another child later to use Lily, or is it now or never? I seem to be repeating myself a lot in this post, but despite the little hesitations I keep mentioning, I want to re-re-emphasize that (1) some names are more important than the minor issue of repeating sounds and (2) it matters less when we’re talking about middle names. So ____ Lily Eliza B_____ton would be just fine, if this is the last child and it’s important to you to use Lily. Though I think then I’d go with a simple first name (especially with a long surname): more Eve than Indigo. Eve Lily Eliza B_____ton is one of my favorites of the possibilities.
I also suggest Rose. It’s common as a middle name, but unusual and fresh as a first name. It’s short and it’s sweet; it’s great with Henry and Casper and doesn’t repeat the endings; it’s simple and non-rhymey with the surname. Rose Eliza B______ton; Henry, Casper, and Rose. Downside: probably rules out the idea of also using Lily.
Another flower name that I think works well for you but again probably rules out Lily: Iris. Iris Eliza B______ton; Henry, Casper, and Iris.
Another of my favorite short-and-sweets is Cora. Cora Lily Eliza B____ton; Henry, Casper, and Cora.
And another is Jane. Familiar but still uncommon; similar in sound to Tate and Lake; short and sweet; no repeating endings or rhymes. Jane Lily Eliza B_____ton.
Or for something even more unusual: Lane, which brings it closer to Lake from your list. Lane Eliza B_____ton or Eliza Lane B______ton.
Or Grey. Eliza Grey B______ton; Henry, Casper, and Grey.
I wonder if you’d like Cleo? Cleo Eliza B____ton; Henry, Casper, and Cleo.
Or Sloane. Sloane Lily Eliza B______ton; Henry, Casper, and Sloane.
One of my mom’s favorite short/sweet/unusual names is Esme (EHZ-may). Esme Lily Eliza B____ton; Henry, Casper, and Esme. I like the way the sounds of Esme and Eliza go together, alternating with the way the sounds of Lily and B_____ton go together.
More ideas for Henry and Casper’s little sister?
Olive makes me think of Violet. I like Lake from your list, very unique.
For me 4 names is overkill though, especially if you didn’t do that with your sons. I had two boys 1st and many girl names we liked for our 3rd baby which was a girl, but I needed to use restraint. Less is more :)
I think 4 names are too much. I like Eliza Lily.
I like your list but most the names are words that make two together sound descriptive. Like Olive Indigo would be a great name but then you quickly realize that both names are colors.
Swistle’s suggestion of Eve Lily Eliza is wonderful.
I do love the name Eliza. What about Sage for a middle name.
Eliza Sage
Selma, Alma, Pearl, Hazel, Flora, Ruby, Alba, Alice, Joy, Blanche, Ada, Phoebe
…and my comment sent too soon! I think all those names would work well with your surname and with either Lily or Eliza or possibly both.
I definitely don’t think four names are too much, especially when it’s a common way to get both parents’ surnames into the name. A couple of the recent babies born in my friend group have had two middle names; I think it’s getting more common.
I like Tate and Nola. I have a friend who is having an Eliza Joy, how about Joy? I love Rose, too.
I think you have such great ideas for names. Almost all are word or color names. Making combining them tricky. Lily and Read are two Family names that are also word names. Olive Read Eliza. Sounds like describing green colored reeds. Lou with Read wont work because of rocker Lou Reed. I’m attracted to Plum but with Eliza it starts sounding to me like plummet or pummel. Plum Read Eliza starts sounding like plumber. Plus likely people will often misspell it Plumb. But I like the names. I can see why you are having trouble combing them though. Not knowing your last name I can guess that more than likely there is an actual Lake B–ton.
I think your original idea is lovely. Olive Eliza B–ton. Lou Eliza b–ton is very pretty too. Louise Eliza?
How about shaye?
I don’t necessarily think four names is too much, but the e and l sounds in Eliza and Lily are a lot for me to say. Eliza Lily also reminds me of the drug company Eli Lilly.
I really like Eliza Lake and Eliza Tate and Eliza Read (although that last one is a complete sentence in two names).
I like Olive for you, but also Eve, and the suggestions of Rose, Cora, Jane, Violet and Esme. Since you have some color and flower names on your list it puts me in mind of other nature names– Fern, Ivy, Rosemary, Sage, Willow, or to move away from plants to birds– Phoebe or Wren. Good luck. I will be interested to see what you choose.
I can’t possibly come up with any alternative names because Olive is the PERFECT sibling name with Henry and Casper. PERFECT. I really like it paired with Eliza for a middle name.
I have four names. In my case I hyphenate the first name (Vanessa-Sarah) which I really like. but it isnt usually too much trouble, just be advisedthat there are some forms that you cant put both on. So put the middle you like less in the 2nd spot. Or hyphenate the middle or first names.
I love Matilda with Casper and Henry. Also Eva, Jane, June (I cant decide if June Lily Eliza is too much or not) Nora, Lucy (but repeats end w/ Henry), Ella, Clare..
would you want to call her just Eliza? thats lovely with Henry and Casper. probably not, though.
I am surprised to find myself really liking Lily-Rose Eliza and then you could call her Rose…
Oh my gosh, I love love love the combination of Indigo Eliza. Indi as a nn would be so cute! Another option is India.
Since you seem to like nature names, what about Meadow?
I’m probably one of the few people who would notice this, but Eliza and Lily can both be nicknames for Elizabeth. I think Lily is a Victorian era Elizabeth nickname that has resurfaced a little bit due to the recent popularity of Lily. Because I know this, combining Eliza and Lily in the same name seems off-kilter to me, almost like using Theo and Ted in the same name.
But no one else seemed to notice this and you could probably get away with it. I just wanted to point that out in case you weren’t aware, but if you are aware and don’t care, then make of that what you will.
I really like so many of the suggestions that I can’t add too many more, but Lake did remind me of Lark, and Nora reminded me of Noor, which I like because it is like Nora but with one syllable, like Lake, Lane, Sloane, Grey.
Oh – I re-read and remembered Eliza and Lily are both honoring. Ok. I assume neither one of them were really named Elizabeth, then I can understand why you are considering using both.
ROSE! I love it so much and would use it myself if I didnt already have a daughter named Violet. I would just use Eliza as a middle name. Rose Eliza. Beautiful. I’d probably call her Rosie.
I’m not a huge fan of naming babies after celebs, but when they have pretty names, I’m all for it! :) What about Neve (actress Neve Campbell)–pronounced “Nehv”. Neve Eliza Lily. The other suggestion I love is Nora/Norah. Nora Eliza Lily. I also second (or third) the suggestion to reconsider Olive. I think it is lovely with Henry and Casper and entirely feminine, which is appealing as this is your only girl. From your list, I consider Tate and Read (I actually have a boy Tate) more boyish names. Best wishes!
Swistle, Ladies, thank you so much! Some really amazing suggestions here! So many great names to consider, it’s almost making me wish I had another child to name. But at 37 wks I’m having the “never agains” so I clearly have a big decision to make. Wish I could give you all a group hug, thanks for your bright ideas.
xEmily
My vote goes to Iris. It’s classic, elegant, and needs no extra fluff to exude femininity.
Henry, Casper, and Iris.
Iris Lily Eliza has a LOT of ‘i’s going on, but I like it! And, yes, there are two flowers in there, too… but wouldn’t they be gorgeous in her wedding boquet or stitched into her baby quilt? It reminds me of how royalty has specific symbols attached to their names, like a crest.
All the best to you and your growing family. Very excited to hear what you and your husband decide!
I love the names you have listed! Especially Eliza Tate, Eliza Read, and Indigo.
As somone with two middle names (both of my wonderful grandmothers) with a 9-syllable name in total, I do favour the one-middle-name-name. However, if it’s important to you to honor these two women, then that is what is most important. I’ve only run into trouble when both middles dont fit onto ID, and when I got married I really wanted to keep my maiden name as a middle, but couldnt because 5 names is just a bit much and I couldnt just choose to delete one of the others!
Good luck! and Congratulations!
With Henry and Casper, I think: Olive, June, Iris, Rose, Frances, Sybil, Alice, Adele, Thea, Edith.
Oh, oh, oh, I really want you to go back to Olive. It is PERFECT with your sib set, and it’s such a darling little name that invokes such warm, fuzzy feelings in me!
Olive Eliza is great!
Lily Eliza would be great as middle names, you could also do Lily-Eliza if you want it to be one name.
Olivia Eliza Lily B – ton would have my vote, so you can use the nn Olive, Liv, Viv, etc.
What about
Rue Lily Eliza
Merritt Lily Eliza
Wren Lily Eliza
Aria Lily Eliza
Anna Eliza Lily
I forgot to add that, for the names to flow better, would Elizabeth be an option instead of Eliza?
[fn] Lily Elizabeth sounds better imo.
Eve Elizabeth Lily/Eve Lily Elizabeth would also be gorgeous.