Emily writes:
I guess I will start off with some background info:
– My name is Emily, my husband’s name is Ian
– We are expecting our final baby, a girl, in November (I won’t give an exact date, because our last baby came 3 weeks early!)
– I have a daughter from a previous relationship, Aylin Rose (pronounced EYE-lin)
– We have two daughters together, Ruby Elizabeth & Hazel Genevieve
– Our last name has not given us any problems when it comes to ‘flow’, but it is two syllables and ends in ‘ding’
– Her middle name will most likely be Lillian, which is a family name (likewise with A, R & H’s middle names)
– Some boys names we like are Leo, Ethan, Evander & Callum
– We would prefer that her name has a different initial to the girls’ names
– I would also kinda like her name to have a different ending to the girls’ names, but that’s just me being difficult ;)I am wondering whether or not we should go with another color name. It was a coincidence that we chose two color names, but a few people have pointed it out. We like Scarlett, and would be happy to use it, but then does the theme become tacky?
Our other fave name is probably Cora, and we also like Clover and Pilar (which are a bit more adventurous).
Further suggestions would be very helpful, especially if Scarlett is tacky for us to use.
To me, the issue with the name Scarlett isn’t one of tackiness: it’s that if you give the three daughters you had together a theme, it seems to exclude your first daughter from the group. Already her name is a different style than her half-sisters’ names; it would be so satisfying to find a name that ties them better together, rather than a name that increases the divide.
It isn’t always possible, though, to blend styles from different sets of parents. Your husband’s naming style overlaps with the part of yours that led the two of you to choose the names Ruby and Hazel, but it may be that it doesn’t overlap with the part of your style that led you to choose the name Aylin; it may be that any name that goes with the name Aylin is outside of his naming style entirely. If that is the case, I would recommend choosing a name that coordinates with the style of the names Ruby and Hazel—but not a color name that would draw attention to the difference.
The names Cora and Clover go beautifully with the names Ruby and Hazel, while leaving the name Aylin separate. A name like Pilar gives a “happy assortment” feeling to the sibling group, with the names Ruby and Hazel still matching in style but the other two girls’ names not.
As I start to look for more names to suggest to bridge the gap between the two styles of names, I see the issue: there are not many like that. With Aylin, I might suggest Brinley, Mira, Jada; with Ruby and Hazel, I might suggest Clara, Molly, Georgia. I’m not seeing overlap in the lists I’m creating.
I too prefer not to repeat initials or endings, but I might in this case deliberately match either the initial or ending of Aylin’s name to her littlest sister’s name. The name Linden, for example, is a nature name like Ruby and Hazel, but it sounds more like Aylin because of the -in/-en. Aylin, Ruby, Hazel, and Linden.
The name Aylin reminds me of Celtic names, so I might look there as well. Carys looks and sounds like a sister for Aylin, and gives you a new initial and a new ending. Aylin, Ruby, Hazel, and Carys. Three names have a Y; a different three names have five letters; all four names have two syllables.
I wonder if Nora would work as a bridge name. It’s Celtic and also a recent-rediscovery name like Ruby and Hazel, and it’s similar to Cora. Aylin, Ruby, Hazel, and Nora. It doesn’t really feel like it ties together with Aylin, though.
Aisling? Aylin, Ruby, Hazel, and Aisling? That seems to make two groups of two, and I think Aisling might be too visually similar to Aylin.
To move away from Celtic names, Ivy gives you a new initial but repeats the starting sound of Aylin, while still coordinating with Ruby and Hazel. Aylin, Ruby, Hazel, and Ivy. There are little matchings everywhere: the starting sounds of Aylin and Ivy; ending sounds of Ruby and Ivy; the Y in Aylin, Ruby, and Ivy; Ruby and Hazel both colors; Hazel and Ivy both plants. With all the mixing and matching going on, everyone seems connected.
Does anyone have more suggestions for names that help tie the group together?
If Jada is given as an associative name for Aylin (bearing in mind I’ve never heard of either name, then couldn’t Jade be a possibility? It apparently goes with Aylin (not sure how – I see totally different styles), it’s a precious-ish stone like Ruby and it’s a colour like Hazel.
I agree with Swistle that another color name leaves Ayelin out. Something that tries to bridge the difference would be perfect and Swistle’s suggestion of Carys is very good. Clover makes me think of Juniper. I think Juniper seems a little closer to Ayelin, while the nickname June would fit well with Hazel and Ruby. I also thought of Paige, Fleur, Willow and Maya.
I agree that using another color name would exclude Aylin. Having been raised in a family where I was one of the older children from a previous relationship, this is the kind of thing I would have been really sensitive about, althow I doubt I would have vocalized my feelings. As it was, I was quietly pleased that my baby (half)sister’s name was a similar style to mine, but wondering if she would feel bothered that hers is four letters and two syllables while both mine and my older brother(from the same father) have three letter, single syllable names. I was eight or nine years old when I first had these thoughts. So I guess my point is, kids do notice a theme, and I think iyou case like yours it is best avoided.
A name I’ve been really liking lately is Maeve. It has the Celtic feel of Aylin, but the old fashioned feel of Ruby and Hazel.
I don’t see a color theme here. I see neo classic (Aylin is a variation of Helen by way of Eileen), gem and botanical/color (like Violet). I would add a category (virtue, biblical, feminized mens’ names) and choose one that fits a bit better with Aylin in feel. I like Grace- virtue name and really sweet for a November baby. Another virtue name that I like even more with Aylin is Verity- means ‘truth’ and is underused. Since Aylin is a variant of a very old name, you could seek a similar name. Elsa or Elspeth for Elizabeth, Hester for Esther, Moriah for Mary. For some reason I also like Wrenn- the new category would be nature/animal and I love saying Wrenn Lillian. I does feel very modern like Aylin but also shares that sense of ‘not new, just never noticed’ that I got from Clover.
I think you could use a color name — Aylin’s middle name is a color, so you could point that out if she feels left out.
Maybe you could use Scarlett as a middle name so you still have a color, and it is a middle name like the oldest sister.
Cora Scarlett is lovely.
You could use Lillian as a first name, Lillian Scarlett.
If you like Callum, how about Calla for a girl? Calla Lillian might be a little much, though, too similar to Calla Lilly. Calla Scarlett?
I don’t think I would use Ruby and Scarlett both as first names, since they are both red. I might look for a different color name — Iris, Clementine, Skye, Violet…
Good luck!
I’d suggest Inez (similar feel to Pilar, with similar sounds to Aylin, with some of the vintage chic of Hazel & Ruby) or agree that Carys seems like a good option.
I was thinking Penny or Polly, but you don’t want to repeat endings. Are you sure? Because…well, Penny! Polly!
I think Coraline might be nice, with the nickname Cora. It seems like a good match to all the siblings without leaning too heavily one way or another. Plus it involves a name you already like!
P.S) Penny Lillian, Polly Lillian, think about it ;)
Aylin is a Turkish name, possibly meaning ‘moon halo’. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aylin for further details. Ayla is a related name meaning ‘halo, moonlight’.
With that in mind, how about something with a similar lunar/light/bright meaning:
Luna
Rhiannon
Livana
Selene (to rhyme with Phoebe)
Selena
Diana
Artemis
Cynthia
Delia
Phoebe
Chandra
Lucy
Clara
Helena
Isis
Or maybe something that sounds or looks a little like Aylin:
Maya
Layla
Or maybe just one of these:
Dinah
Zara
Juliet
Linnet
Garnet
Gemma
Jasmine
Laurel
Zarina
Avalon
I think Linden may be too similar to Aylin. Violet too. Cora’s very nice. What about Pearl? Jade? Farrah? Stella?
If you like Pilar, what about Inez? It has similar sounds to Aylin, but also some of the vintage chic appeal of Ruby & Hazel.
I think Carys and Maeve are good fits too…if Aylin is a variation of Aileen. Mona and Una are also options that match the Celtic origins of Aylin and the feel of Ruby & Hazel.
Or also Maura.
Love your kids names? Some you might like too: Clara, Evangeline, Evelyn, Adeline, Ainsleigh.
Yes, there are names which are used in different languages but are otherwise unrelated- Asa is both Hebrew and Japanese. So is Naomi. This lends a bit of flexibility to the parent, as they can choose which meaning and origin means the most to them.
I think you definitely should not us another color name. It makes your first daughter seem way too different. I think the name Carys is perfect. Maybe also…
Finley – seems close to first daughter’s name
Penelope – so many possible nns, this can work with anything
Maud – seems Irish but also ‘old-fasioned’ to go with all 3 names
Josephine – a nn like Josie s really versatile
Sadie – maybe?
Mila
Marlowe or Marlo
Avery
Isla? Too much? Maya?
How about Siobhan?
I REALLY like the suggestion of Ivy. The name seems to bring all all three sisters’ names together so nicely and the four names sound amazing together to me. Ivy Lillian is also a fantastic name.
I like Cora for you and I liked the suggestions of Ivy or Juniper or a more subtle nature theme that runs throughout if you take Aylin’s middle into consideration. Changing Cora to Coral would do the same. Or how about Dahlia (nature), Keira (Celtic), or Zoe (just seems to go somehow)?
Ivy Lillian would be my choice. Great suggestion. It ties in the other two names in a subtle way, but it also sounds similar to Aylin based on the pronounciation (Eye-lin… same sound as I-vee + lin similar in sound to the lin on Aylin). Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Ivy.
I also agree that an eclectic mix seems more fitting than three of one theme and one of another. I am one of 4 girls who all have unique, but not matchy, names and I think it works well.
Ivy and Maeve are my favorite suggestions so far, as well as Clover from your own list.
Brea is Gaelic (one of the origins that is listed for Aylin) and gives you a different 1st initial and ending. Or Leah for a more classic feel.
Following Pilar, you could use Leonor (I know a really sweet one who goes by Leo, pronounced LAY-oh).
I would stay away from color names. What about Bria (Gaelic name), Brynn, Arwen, Aria, Fiona, Rowan, Freya, Imogen, or Wren? Since Hazel and Rose are plant names, maybe a gemstone/color middle name to tie in Ruby and have it in the middle name position as with Rose, to bring in some symmetry? Lillian Pearl/Opal/Amber/Hyacinth, etc, so pretty!
Sylvia or Sylvie would have a y in the middle like Aylin but be old fashioned like Ruby & Hazel.
I loved Swistle’s suggestion of Linden — it ties all the names together, and is a beautiful name — but then realized that Linden Lillian is rather sing-songy. As is Gwendolyn Lillian, which would have been my suggestion.
Briar coordinates more closely with Ruby and Hazel, but has some of the sound of Aylin.
Brynna
Maura
Greta
Nina
I also like your choice of Cora.
What about Yvonne or Yvette?
I agree that 3 color names would only exacerbate the naming style divide.
What about Ainsley? That immediately came to mind as soon as I saw the name Aylin. Ainsley Scarlett, Ainsley Lillian, or Ainsley Pearl is nice.
Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Ainsley.
Arden is also nice. Or Arwen. I’ll suggest Daphne just because it sounds nice with your other daughters’ names. And I love Gwendolyn! Gwendolyn Pearl is stunning. And it has a ‘y’ just like 2 other girls. Also, Mauve is a great suggestion. Good luck!
Some possible charming assortment names:
Briony
Wren
Miriam
Tessa
Lydia
Zoe
Genevieve
Naomi
Coleen
Lark
I like above poster’s suggestion of Briony and Tessa. They have an English, old-fashioned feel, while seeming modern and romantic. Much like Aylin.
I also so someone suggested Skye; What about Skyler?
Another pretty suggestion is Nessa.
My favourite for your fourth is Violet. It meets all your criteria and is botanical like rose (which is as much of a colour name as violet and ruby and hazel btw) and hazel. It works a bit better than scarlett for that reason, but has the same ending. It also has the long I sound that is in Aylin. Children will understand what is pointed out to them, so if everyone around you is going to comment on how youve chose three colour names then Aylin might feel left out, but i dont think people will because they are all kind of obscure colour names and have other stronger associations with other thibg s (gem,plant, flower) . i also think a short conversation with all of the kids will help (ie asking for their opinions of your two favourite names or pointing out the similarities between their names and their new sisters).
Ivy, Cora, Nora, and Maeve are also great.
Maybe Sonnet instead of Violet? Sonnet sidesteps the color issue…..
I like the suggestion of Ivy–but it does repeat two sounds, the Ay of Aylin, and the ending sound of Ruby.
I love the suggestion of Fiona, though. I think Fiona Lillian straddles the names quite well.
Oh I was so excited to see this posted!
Firstly, I feel like I should say that Aylin is VERY much a part of the family…LOL! She is with us 100% of the time (as in, her bio-dad is not in the picture), and has called Ian ‘Dad’ since she was 4. She is now 14, and there is a 10 year age gap between herself and Ruby. I’m going to be honest, I haven’t taken her name into that much consideration when choosing names for her younger sisters. But, I do think her name ‘goes’ with Ruby and Hazel’s name, probably because it sounds quite similar to ‘Isla’, which is a name that has the same feel as R & H.
Aylin is a Turkish name that “possibly means ‘moon halo'”. It’s actually not a trendy name, although I do see why people would think that.
I asked Aylin if she felt like her name didn’t match her sisters name, or if she cares what I named the baby. She looked at me funny and said no and that she doesn’t care as long as it’s not “something ugly like Myrtle” haha!
You have convinced me that Scarlett is not the way to go though, as I don’t want people thinking “poor Aylin is left out”.
Since I sent you this, I have found a couple of names that I LOVE and think might be more suitable in regards to Aylin’s name. The names are Neela and Sia. Aylin, Ruby, Hazel & Neela or Aylin, Ruby, Hazel & Sia. Or Sia could be short for something like Sophia or Lucia? Do either of those names work?
I was also inspired by this post to look at some Turkish names. The only one that really appealed to me (from what I saw) was Seda, but I couldn’t find a concrete answer on how it’s pronounced. I’m pronouncing it like SEE-dah, but then people may think her name is Cedar.
Out of your suggestions Swistle, I really liked Mira and I do think it ‘bridges the gap’. I like Carys (but prefer Caris), but don’t love it. I also like Nora, but prefer Cora. I really like Ivy, but I think Aylin & Ivy are too similar for sisters.
From the comments, I really liked the suggestions Maeve, Calla, Luna (but RUby and LUna might not work), Gemma, Bria, Briar and Greta.
I will consult with my husband, and come back with a list!
Thank you all so much! :)
I know two girls named Seda around 6 years old and both are pronounced Say-duh.
Emily, thanks for your comment. It’s lovely to hear your opinion.
Based on what you’ve written, I would choose the name you love the most and then ask Aylin if she would like to help you choose her sister’s middle name. It sounds as if your other two are too young to be able to choose but you could ask them to help you, Aylin and Ian put together a short list of possible names. I think as long as you make Aylin feel involved in the process, it does not matter if her name doesn’t match her sisters. With such a large age gap, I think it is very easy to explain that your tastes changed and so on.
So if you love Scarlett, I think in light of your situation you should just use it!
If you like Maeve, what about Mavis? Pearl is also a good suggestion from above: it IS a color (but subtly so), it’s classic like Ruby and Hazel, and it feels slightly exotic like Aylin.
Mavis (nickname of Maevie?) Lillian would give everyone a different ending and different inital.
Pearl Lillian would also give a different ending for everyone and a different inital.
I do love that Aylin has a color in her name, too… Rose! Nice touch!
Jade or Coral were the first names that came to me. I don’t think it is necessary for Aylin to not feel “left out”. Personally, I don’t think it is fair to expect your current husband to enjoy the same style of names for his children as the name you have for the first. If the actual child Aylin is feeling left out, I recommend having her participate in naming the baby. We did that with my oldest when we were at an impasse between two names so she got to be the tie-breaker and choose the baby’s name between the two. The only name I can think of that would tie them all together would be Roxana. It is a middle eastern origin meaning “dawn” or “morning star” depending on where you look but it bridges the gap between spunky old lady names and the more modern/trendy sound of Aylin. I do think that previous suggestion of adding another category of name (bird, shakespeare, etc) might help if you are wanting to make things more cohesive. I decided not to bother with cohesiveness with my kids, yet lately people have been complementing how well my kids’ names go together, yet in my mind, they are completely scattered! Kellie, Crimson, Cyrus, Rejeanne and Starling don’t seem like a cohesive set of sibs to me at all! So, I guess I’m saying choose a name you love and be surprised by the random comments you will get :)
SWISTLE = GENIUS = IVY
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but one of my favorite names is Alice.
Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Alice. :)
I would worry that Ivy sounds too similar to Aylin – two syllables, first sound a strong ‘I’, stress on the first syllable. Also, in this sibling set, I’d assume that Linden was a boy. That may or may not be a problem and may or may not apply across the atlantic.
I like Mara for you, or Elspeth, or Clara.
I love Neela and Sia. They go so well with your other daughters’ names!
I think the y ties Aylin and Ruby together, and Ruby and Hazel fit stylistically so I don’t necessarily think any one is left out.
Some more ideas:
Selma/Salma
Serena/Selena
Naima
Nova
Nisha
Nuala
Filiz
Ferey
oops, I meant Feray – also a Turkish name with similar meaning to Aylin.
Feray Lillian sounds good!
@Rayne of Terror, thank you for letting me know that :-)
Okay, so our list is now:
– Neela
– Sia
– Cora
– Mira
– Calla
– Bria
I also liked the suggestion of Nova, but will have to see what Ian thinks!
Thanks so much for all of the wonderful suggestions :-)
I really love the names Sela, Skyler or Vida with your other daughters’ names.
Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Sela
Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Skyler
Aylin, Ruby, Hazel and Vida
Hope these suggestions help.
Good luck!
I think your list is terrific!
I can think out how I’d narrow it down but I’m not sure how important “flow” with the mn or ln is for you. But if it were me, I’d cross Neela and Calla from my list for being a mouthful with Lillian. I’m also imagining (without basis) that your last name starts with R, which would make Cora and Mira a little awkward. Sia seems like quite a departure from the others, which leaves Bria. If I’m wrong about the last name, I actually like Mira the best for tying the sibset together. Bria would be my second favourite. But again, great list.
I’ve always taken a few names to the hospital and waited to meet the baby before making a final decision.