Kelley writes:
We have 2 children named Landon and Adaline. I had a long list of names for each, and arrived at their names with no hesitation. With our third, there is none that have that strong feeling of, “This is THE one and only name for her!” My sweet grandma’s name is Emily, and so I was going to do Emma Grace. I am sure you know the extreme popularity of that name! I have seen 2 recent postings on facebook of people who just named their baby Emma Grace or are going to name her that with their baby due in March.
2 of the names I have gone through, and liked, are Makenna and Madaleise. I still don’t have that 100 percent tug at my heart that either of those are the one! I am wondering if a name with a letter L in it would go well, since we have Landon and AdaLine. Also, my name is KeLLey and my hubby’s name is PhiLip. So, we all have an L in our names. Our last name is Hart, so a lot of names go easily with it. I don’t like any common names, nor any top names. I like uniquely beautiful names. If he was a boy, his name was most likely going to be Jensen Nolan. I fear this baby will end up with a name that I just have to settle with, instead of love. We would like to have one more child in the way future. Can you help us name our little girl, about to arrive in March, which is also the same birth month as mine? Please?
Also, forgot to mention, but Giada is a really cool name and she is so gorgeous. It just doesn’t go with Hart. Both sides of our family have strong Italian roots as both of our grandpas were 100 percent Italian. If you look at either one of us, you would think no way. Our children both have that nice olive complexion, while we are both fair-skinned. Sorry for the rambling.
I wanted to let you know too that I have thrown around Emmaline as a name, but don’t know if that would be a bit much to have Adaline and Emmaline?????????
What do you think about Isla Marie… too popular again? I just don’t want a popular name or a current trendy name. I am telling you, this little girl is not going to have a name.
Well, on this Christmas day, after spending hours a week trying to settle on a name, I believe we have decided on Makenna Emmalyn Hart. I was looking back on your posts from 2009 and noticed someone who named their daughter Mckenna Emmaline… and so I decided to go with something similar. It puts me more at ease now! Thanks so much for your site. You sure do have a gift with words!
I am ultra indecisive still. I like Makenna, but the more I say it, the more it does not go with Adaline. See, they will only be 20 months apart, and I just have this stubborn thing going through my mind that I want their names to go well together. They will be sharing a room all their life, at least that’s what I am saying now. I just want their names to harmonize somehow. I like Emmalyn as a first name, but I think my husband’s sister would go crazy since she is naming one of her twins Analyn next month. Do you have any suggestions of a name that sounds beautiful with Adaline? About 7 weeks left till c-section…. heeeeelp!
I think of Adaline as a sweet pioneer girl name, and Makenna as a modern surname name. This does not mean, however, that they don’t work as sister names: as a pair they fall into a category that is neither super-coordinated nor clashy, but more in between. And Makenna fits perfectly with Landon, and with Jensen if you want to use it later, so Makenna seems like a good choice for this sibling group.
If it doesn’t quite sit right, however, it could be that your taste in boy names is more modern/surname, and your taste in girl names is more pioneer/vintage. Your attraction to the name Emma Grace supports this theory. In that case, I might look in the Antique Charm section of The Baby Name Wizard to find more options to consider:
Cecily
Clara
Claudia
Eleanor
Eliza
Lydia
Molly
Phoebe
Sadie
Isla is a very pretty name, and I like it with Adaline: they’re different, but not at all clashy. The spelling Adeline was the #288th most popular girl name in the United States in 2011 (source); Isla at #268 is a nice fit, popularity-wise. (Landon is #34, but I think it works fine to have different styles/popularities for the girl/boy names in a family.)
Emilia might be a good way to honor your Grandma Emily without using Emma. Emilia Hart; Adaline and Emilia. And I worry less about name popularity when the pay-off is getting to use a family name.
Giada and Madaliese make me think of Nadia. So pretty and underused! Nadia Hart; Adaline and Nadia.
If you would enjoy finding a name with an L in it, I think that would be fun; but I definitely don’t think you need to do that if it adds to your stress. Also, if you do use a name with an L in it now, will you be able to use Jensen later on, or will you feel like you have to keep going with L-containing names?
I think I would notice that both children had a D sound in their names before I noticed the L sound. A few more D names to consider (though again, this could make you feel uneasy using the name Jensen later):
Audrey
Bridget
Danica
Delaney
Delia
Emerald
Hadley
Lydia
Matilda
Melody
Meredith
Miranda
Nadia
Sadie
I started that list on a whim, but a lot of them seem like they’d work really well.
(Your sister-in-law didn’t ask for my advice, and so it would be inappropriate for me to give it. But for anyone who has come upon this post while researching the name Analyn, I would strongly suggest adding a second N to avoid the series of those first four letters.)
Lydia came to me too as I was reading. Landon, Lydia, and Adaline is super.
Matilda! Swistle, you’re brilliant again. Matilda gives you the “L” you wanted, the “D” that Swistle points out, and a third letter to share among the kids: “A”. And I think Matilda fits the vintage charm/pioneer sweet style that Swistle pointed out with Adaline—plus it begins with the “Ma” sound you seem to like (with Makenna and Madaleise). I think it is a beautiful name, and a brilliant choice with the other two: Landon, Adaline, and Matilda.
Isla and Emilia are also lovely—and Emilia has the added benefit of having connection to Italian roots. I’d also add two of my favorite Italian names, Aurelia and Ilaria (could work, I think, but perhaps too “fancy” with the sibs?).
These makes me think of the name I go by in Italy, Laura, which is perhaps thought of as “too common” in our generation, but is comparable to Adeline and Isla in terms of popularity nowadays (#273 in 2011, #275 in 2010)—and I think could work well with the sibling pairs (also, you don’t get much more “pioneer” in the US than Laura Ingalls Wilder). Lara could also be thrown up there as a possibility (#924 in 2011), which then brings me to Swistle’s suggestion of Clara (lovely, but becoming more popular).
And finally, as the new aunt of a 2-month-old Lydia (whom I call Lyddie), I have to also give a plug for that name!
Lydia came to my mind as well when reading.
I also think Matilda fits.
But I LOVE swistle’s suggestion of Delaney!
I like Matilda as well and I think Lydia would be really pretty. The only thing i would thing about with regard to Emilia is that (paired with your last name), it sounds like Amelia Earhart. Not a bad association, but something that came to mind immediately for me. I just wanted to point that out in case you have any aversion to that association (although i can’t imagine why anyone would!).
Swistle is hilarious–i love her recommendation about adding the extra N to Analyn. I didn’t even pick up on that but i’m sure a middle school boy would!!
Ooh, yes, I hope she adds an N to Analyn!
Swistle has some good suggestions, I especially like Meredith, Eliza, and Sadie. Some more suggestions that I think sound great with the other kids’s names: Rebecca. Juliet, Mary, Natalia/Natalie, Rosemary, and Beatrice.
Ooh, yes, I hope she adds an N to Analyn!
Swistle has some good suggestions, I especially like Meredith, Eliza, and Sadie. Some more suggestions that I think sound great with the other kids’s names: Rebecca. Juliet, Mary, Natalia/Natalie, Rosemary, and Beatrice.
Why not Emily, the grandmother’s actual name? It even has an L. But I also liked the suggestion of Emelia. And I think Isla works, too.
Cecily, Clara, Claudia, Eleanor & Matilda appeal as well.
Charlotte perhaps?
Lydia is a great suggestion-and it has the L & D like the sibling names.
I also think just Emily would be lovely-a more direct honor for the namesake and Emily makes a great sister name for Adaline.
Some other ideas: Charlotte, Cordelia, Rosalie, Antonia & Leonora
I second the immediate “Emilia/Amelia Earhart” connection. It’s not a bad one, per se, but I wouldn’t want it myself.
If you like less common names with the L sound in them, what about Malia, Malea, Nalia, or Nyla? I have only ever known one child named Nyla and think it’s such a pretty name.
Clementine?
I agree that Adaline and Emmalyn are too similar for siblings.
I winced when I read Analyn–the first 4 letters didn’t hit me right away (though that’s just awful), but it’s pronounced just like aniline, a toxic chemical. I know different names sound pleasing/unpleasant to different people, but that association ruins it for me.
Maybe it’s a good idea to use google voice search to see if a name can be interpreted as something unexpected?
I have an Emma Grace, having decided that the popularity didn’t bother me, but I get why it does bother some people. It is a great name so I get why people use it! Swistles suggestions are great, I would also throw Madelyn (or an alternate spelling) in there, it was another one of our top contenders. :)
If you like Emily, you might consider Amalie (pronounced a-ma-lee).
I know one does not always know the answer to this, but I think that if you plan on having more babes, go with something that does not lock you in to any particular letter sound (or style, but I think you have wiggle room there).
That being said, what about Olive? It’s classic enough to go with Adaline, but fresh enough to complement Landon and a potential Jensen. Olive Emmaline, Olive Grace, Olive Emilia all sound nice to me. And, as far as name sounds/symmetry, your girls would have that middle L and if you have a Jensen, he and Landon would have similar name endings.
From Swistle’s suggestions, I like Delia (or even Cordelia), Matilda, and Nadia.
My daughter is also Adaline, and we’ve been thinking of possible sister names for a possible next baby, so your post hits a chord with me!
Here’s our list:
Laura
Eleanor
Caroline (but I’m worried about the Caroline/Adaline thing, so probably a no-go)
Lydia
Meredith
Emma
Claire/Clara
Grace
From your list, I really like Emily. I know far more Emmas than Emilys these days, and the family connection would be enough for me to vault it to the top.
What about Evelaine? Ev-uh-lane. I was seriously considering it for a girl since my mom and grandma are Evelyn and Elaine. I’d also suggest Evangeline and Everly. I love the suggestion of Emelia, the Earhart association really doesn’t bother me too much. And I hate to say it but the second I read the name Analyn I thought “Oh noooo! Don’t do it!” Any way you could “suggest” to her that a second n would look prettier?
Evangeline comes to mind, and can be pronounced with a long “I” as in “line” or long “E” as in “lean” (or also like “lyn”). I think there’s a lot of wiggle room with the final “ine” pronunciation.
Much as it pains me, many people assume that Caroline is a short “i” sound and often spell my name that way. I consider it a different name altogether, but that might be just me.
I’m going to second Swistle in the please-don’t-let-your-sister-name-her-baby-AnalANYTHING department.
Matilda is very pretty. I’d also like to suggest:
Danelle
Daniela
Lucinda
Claudia
Delilah
Lavinia
Juliet
Allegra
Cecelia
Elsa
Elsie
Emilia
Cordelia
Felicity
Isabel
Amanda
Hope these help and good luck!
Yes, please anyone considering Analyn do add an extra “n” in there. All I see and hear is “Anal in”.
I think anything antique charm would be pretty for a sister for Adaline.
If you like Makenna, but want it to be more old-fashioned, how about Michaela/Makayla? Plus that gives you the “L”.
Other “L” options –
Cornelia/Cordelia/Delia
Melanie/Melody
Elodie
Everly
Mariella
Landon and Adeline share TONS of sounds. In fact, besides the O, Adeline has Landon in it. If I had the other option of Jenson though what really sticks out is the “n” endings. So what about Elowen, Marilyn, Madelyn, or Laurelyn?
If you like Emma but its too popular, what about Gemma?
And finally, a name that just popped out when I was brain storming but fits none of the above descriptions – Cassidy.
My top choice is Cordelia. I think the sibset is lovely!
I like Nella and Tess.
I wonder if you would like the name Malese? There is an actress with this name and it’s very uncommon.
Otherwise, Marlese might be cute as well with Adaline. Marley and Addie?
What about Olinda?
Landon, Adaline and Olinda
Too cute!
One small association that Emilia Hart gives me is to Amelia Earhart (pronounced AIR-hart). The first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. For me, not a bad association, but just thought I would mention it.
Elise or Emmette