Chris writes:
My wife and I will welcome our second daughter into this world within the next couple of weeks and I’m embarrased to say we do not have a name picked out yet! Our two front runners are Palmer and Sloane. However, we are not in love with either and are hoping that we will eventually come across a name we absolutely love or end up siding with one or the other – Palmer or Sloane. Our last name starts with a S and ends with in (S….in). My name is Chris and my wife’s name is Hollie. I would prefer a first name that does not end with an S as my first and last name kind of run together. By the way, I would wait and let my wife type this tomorrow but she is having contractions so I better hammer this out quick! So, we have one child. A precious little girl named Piper Wesley. We like names that are different yet not too crazy. I love the name Harper but I know a handful of babies named Harper. Far too common for us. We are open to any suggestions and hope you guys can help us so our new baby girl will have a name when she is born! Need help with middle names too. If we end up going with Palmer or Sloan, we want the middle name to be feminine considering both are not very girly. Perhaps, Sloan Alexandra…Palmer Grace….
SOS. Please HELP!!!!!!
Normally we answer questions that arrive in the previous week, so I would have put this on the “no hope of answering in time” pile. However, it reminds me of a previous post we did (Baby Girl Chaplin, Sister to Lennox Elizabeth), which at least would give you feedback on Palmer and on mixing first names with surname names, so I’ll go ahead and post a link to that one and perhaps that and its comments section will be of some use.
I think you need a high energy, exciting, and quite novel name to match Piper so my suggestions are:
Piper & Ainsley
Piper & Avalon (AV-eh-lon)
Piper & Clancy
Piper & Daphne
Piper & Delaney
Piper & Edie
Piper & Farrell
Piper & Flannery
Piper & Larkin
Piper & Penelope
Piper & Roscoe
Piper & Saffron
Piper & Sage
Piper & Tatum
Piper & Willa
Piper & Avalon is my favourite – it’s feminine without being girly, much like Piper.
Do let us know what you and your wife choose!
If you use Sloane, just be aware of the British stereotype; see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloane_Ranger.
How about Rowan or Campbell? Good luck!
I know sisters named Piper & Sloan, so that popped out at me. I think Sloan starting and ending with the same letters as the surname could either sound good or bad, depending on the syllable count (the more the better, though I think anything with at least two could work). I lean toward it over Palmer unless the surname is very short. Palmer shares beginning and ending sounds with Piper, too, so it seems you are drawn to alliteration. How about Penelope or Celeste?
Instead of Harper, how about Copper? Maybe too matchy with Piper.
Ember
Wren
Fable
Lennox
Navy
Quilla
Romy
Tamsin
Cassidy
Avery
Good luck, hope you have time to read the comments! Let us know….
Baby Name Wizard actually suggests Piper as a sibling name for Sloane. :) Personally I’d shy away from Palmer (although it’s a great name) because of the same reason the earlier poster said…same first and last sound as Piper and I think you’d be stuck with that for any subsequent children. Tough.
Others that I thought of:
Quinn or Quinlan
Tatum
Brynn or Brinley
Finley
Harlow/Harlowe (similar to Harper that you liked)
Marlow/Marlowe/Marlo
Best wishes to you! Keep us posted!
Because Piper is very “girl”, I would recommend something similar: Rowan or Tatum. Rowan (RO-an) is my favourite. Piper and Rowan. Love.
(You’ll notice in the post that Swistle links to the issue people mentioned with Palmer. Something to keep in mind.)
Congrats on your impending arrival!
Piper and…Phoebe? It might be too Charmed for you, but the show has been off the air long enough that I don’t think people would make the connection. (At least, not immediately.) And they sound pretty fab together.
I suggest Ellis or Emilin. How about Yardley or Asli? Good luck!
Paisley? Presley? Too much ess sound there? I love the Flannery, Eden and Wren suggestions.
I do like Sloane (How pretty was Mia Sara in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?), but I’m not sure I like it with a S__n name.
Marlow flows better, I think. Or –
Delaney
Hadley
Monroe
You can use Grace as a middle for any of those names.
Tatum seems like the best match stylistically.
I like Sloane with Piper. I also think Marlowe, Padgett, Merritt, Scout, and Tatum. I think Marlowe gets my vote.
Palmer is too matchy, I think, and too boyish–Piper is girly. what about:
Tatum (brilliant)
Naomi
Sabine
Lindsey
Campbell
Margo
What about Grier? It has the same feel as Piper, same amount of syllables, same ending… but very individual still.
Piper Wesley and Grier Alexandra?
All the best!
Seems my earlier comment got lost…
I know sisters Piper and India (Indy), match nicely in style and flow.
Piper and Palmer seem too similar and Sloan S…in is also bit of a mouthful.
I like the suggestions of Tatum and Willa. Good luck!
I like Cleo with Piper. Good energy/femininity match (though much less popular).
Or Polly. Piper and Polly.
So many great suggestions! I like:
Cleo
Tatum
India
Lennox
Good luck – let us know!
I think that Palmer could lead to some teasing. It reminds me of a reference generally combined with Rosie and several sisters.
Since you don’t seem to mind repeating P’s in the sisters’ names, how about some of these:
– Pippa
– Phillipa
– Paige
Some others?
Miltilda
Lorelai
Selah
Piper and Bianca?
what about Hollis? Piper Wesley amd Hollis Alexandra S…n?or Hedy?
Sloane has my preference over Palmer for reasons mentioned above. Sloane also reminds me of Sutton, Avalon, Saffron, Soleil.
I might stay away from names that end with -er.
I like the suggestions of Cleo and Lennox. I also like Scout, Paisley, Padget, Calla, Layla, Cameron, and Quinn
I just looked at the post Swistle linked to. My surname is Palmer. I raised several daughters and sons and never once did any of them say they were teased about our surname. I doubt that the two word slur mentioned is widely thought of when the name Palmer is heard. I’ve never heard it before. But as has been said many times, it’s possible to come up with a negative connotation to just about any name.
That said, I find Palmer too surname-y and male-sounding for Piper’s sister and also too matchy. Piper is a surname too, but as a first name, it’s definitely a girl’s name.
Here are a few non-Palmer suggestions:
Piper and Polly
Piper and Zoe
Piper and Phoebe
Piper and Reece
Piper and Esme
Piper and Darcy
Piper and Ansley
Piper and Camden
Definitely Piper & Eden – it sounds wonderful! Use it!
My favorites right now are Paisley, Willa, and Cadence.
Good luck!
I have never heard any jokes involving the name Palmer until I read the comments on this post and the other. I don’t think it’s an issue. I just don’t like the name Palmer. Sloane is a great match to Piper, and I love the suggestions of India and Grier.
My ideas:
Sloane Elizabeth
India Rose
India May
India Jane
Grier Ann
Grier Elizabeth
Grier Isabel
Grier
Love Sloane! Also love Grier/Greer, and what about Darby?
Darby sounds spunky and girlish to me, but still unusual.
Good luck!
We love the suggestions! Thank you to everyone who has commented. What about the name Miller and she could go by Millie?!?! My wife has always loved this name but we brushed it off at first because I wasn’t a big fan but now it’s really growing on me!
I know a little girl here named Millicent who goes by Millie. Or you could use Matilda…Miller seems really masculine sounding to me–I’d first check the social security stats for how many boys were named Miller in 2010…..Or simply use Millie. This is only my preconceptions talking, though. The sounds in Miller are soft and feminine, every bit as much as Piper or Harper. Overall, I think a name that ended in something other than “er” would be your best bet.
Miller isn’t my cup of tea, but if you really like it and the nn Millie then you should go for it. Other “last names as first names” I thought of:
Spencer (I know a woman named Spencer, she goes by Spencie)
Harris
Waverly
My pick is still Sloane. Sloane and Piper sound like the coolest sisters ever.
Piper and Romilly (Milly) might work.
Oh–ditto Swistle’s suggestion of Romilly! I’d forgotten about that option when I responded to the Miller post.
Romilly would be perfect! I do like Millie with Piper.
I have to say, Piper Wesley is an amazing name. Good job on that one! For her sister I’d suggest names like Cully and Nell, I think Piper & Cully fit perfectly together. Middlenames could be both masculine and feminine, since Cully sounds pretty girly but isn’t well-heard of. Victoria, Madeleine, Hope, Hayes, Harris.. ? From the comments I like the ideas of Phoebe (although it might restrict you if you have more children and you don’t want to keep at it with the P-names), Romilly and Matilda. Piper has a classic feel to it for me so I think it’d work great with Matilda or Violet. I love the name Miller! Possible middlenames could be Elizabeth, Victoria, Jane, Sophia. I prefer Miller Elizabeth and Miller Victoria. Millie or Mills are great nicknames.
I just saw this name and thought of y’all – Kestrel
Miller seems so masculine to me. Piper and Miller sounds a little rhymey too.
You like Harper but it’s too popular… what about Hadley or Hayden instead?
Miller is so masculine, even next to Piper.
Would you like
Mischa
Mila
Miley
Monet
I really like these combos:
Piper & Quinn
Piper & Cleo
Piper & Ruby
Piper & Vivienne “Vivi”
Piper & Zoe
*Piper & Fiona*
If you like Millie, I say just use Millie. :) That avoids the gender confusion/ last name confusion of Miller.