A. writes:
We are due in a couple of days and have been agonizing over first names for our little girl. She’s our first child. I want to use Elizabeth as her middle name after my Granny. My husband wants to use Lynn as her middle name after me. We both are open to picking either one based on first name choice, but we don’t want to use either name as a first name. Also, our last name is Ford and really no girl’s name sounds good to me with Ford.
We have two names we like:
Avery Lynn – we both love this name. I’m having a hard time with it because of popularity. We don’t know of any Avery’s but from researching it, it appears trendy and popular, which I don’t want. I really don’t want her to be Avery F. in school.
Emery Elizabeth – I love this name and it’s my husband’s second favorite, but he really doesn’t want to give-up Lynn and I don’t like Emery Lynn.
I’m also not a big fan of nicknames. I will always use her full name.
Help, please!
Avery is indeed popular: #18 in 2011, and likely to be even higher when the 2012 Social Security Administration statistics come out in May.
Emery is currently much less common, but climbing even faster than Avery did: Avery went from “not even in the Top 1000” in 1988 to #465 in 1995; Emery has gone from “not even in the Top 1000” in 2004 to #272 in 2011. To boil down those numbers: in their first seven years in the Top 1000, Emery made far more progress than Avery did, and so may possibly continue to move even more rapidly to where Avery is now.
However, even if that DOES happen, an Emery born in 2013 will not have anywhere near as many Emerys among her peers as a 2013 Avery will have Averys. For comparison, in 2011 the Social Security Administration records 7303 new baby girls named Avery and 1162 new baby girls named Emery.
Both Avery and Emery are likely connected to the popularity of their Top 10 more traditional versions: Avery is the modern surname equivalent of Ava; Emery is the modern surname equivalent of Emma. If you like Avery and Emery, I wonder if you’d like Ellery (the modern surname equivalent of Ella). It’s not yet in the Top 1000, but has a very similar sound to the other two names. Ellery Elizabeth Ford.
Or Ellison. Ellison Elizabeth Ford.
Or Brinley? Brinley Elizabeth Ford.
Or Waverly: it’s Avery with a W and an L, and it’s not even in the Top 1000. Waverly Lynn Ford or Waverly Elizabeth Ford.
Or Everly, not in the Top 1000 yet either. Everly Elizabeth Ford.
Delaney is ranked in the 200s and seems to be hovering right there—no lunging for the Top 10 or even for the Top 100. Delaney Elizabeth Ford.
Emery Elizabeth, Ellery Elizabeth, and Everly Elizabeth all bring Emily Elizabeth (from the Clifford stories) immediately to my mind. But the Clifford TV show was popular at my house when my eldest child was a toddler, so I’m not sure everyone’s mind would leap to this, nor is it a negative association.
I think I empathize with her feeling like no girl names sound good with Ford – it’s a short, kind of “hard”-sounding surname if that makes sense. I don’t know if it’s within your tastes or not, but I would try some more feminine-sounding names to balance it out. Maybe:
Elena
Julia
Fiona
Lucia
Melody
Caroline
Adele
Emilia
Emmeline
Lily
Lila
Johanna
Just a few thoughts, several of which I think would work with the middle names of Lynn or Elizabeth.
I think both names sound great. Maybe a compromise could be Emlyn Elizabeth or Avalyn Elizabeth?
How about Ivy instead of Avery? Similar sound, but gets you away from the “variations on Ava” grouping. Or Aubrey? Aubrey’s almost as popular as Avery, but seems like an older, more established name to me.
You seem to really like the -ery ending. If you wanted something less trendy in that group, there’s Rosemary, Hilary, Valerie and Marjorie.
There’s also Cecily, which is different sounds but a similar rhythm.
Or how about Embry? Similar to Avery and Emery, but not in the top 1000.
For middlenames, I’d do:
Ivy Elizabeth
Aubrey Lynn
Rosemary Elizabeth
Hilary Lynn
Valorie Elizabeth
Marjorie Elizabeth
Cecily Elizabeth
or
Embry Lynn
Less trendy options with similar sounds and three syllables (very good with Ford) could be:
Valerie
Cecily
Romilly
Mallory
Bellamy (though this, too, is trendy)
Avery is popular for a reason: it’s a musical collection of sounds for five letters–plus it gets you three syllables, and the same is true for Emery. Of Swistle’s alternatives, my favorite is Everly. Inwardly, I have a hard time overlooking the Ellery/celery similarities……
I think you can safely use either Lynn or Elizabeth with any of the names under discussion. Elizabeth is a bit more classic, though, and would deepen the trendier sounds of Avery and Emery.
why not go for Avery Lynn Elizabeth?
I’m not sure if your distaste for nicknames is limited to just you using them, or anybody using them, but a little girl named Emery is pretty destined to get Em.
Good luck, they are both very pretty names!
You don’t want Elizabeth as a first name, but I wonder if you’d like a related name as first with Lynn as the middle. It seems like a decent compromise. Eliza Lynn, Bethany Lynn, Ellie Lynn, Elsie Lynn, Elise Lynn or Swistle’s suggestion of Ellery Lynn could all work as honor names for Elizabeth+Lynn.
I know a girl named Julia Ford and I think her name is really pretty.
I disagree that most girls’ names sound wrong with the surname Ford. I think Ford is a great surname! Maybe the issue is that you don’t like the “ee” sound ending with Ford? The names you proposed all end in a long e. And Avery has a ‘v’ in the middle, which can conflict with the ‘f’ of Ford. If you say the name out loud- Avery Ford- you kind of have to pause and get your mouth back in shape quickly to go from the ‘v’ to the ‘f’. It doesn’t sound bad at all, but maybe that’s what you are picking up on and dislike. Emery Ford flows a bit better.
Or maybe you don’t like the car associations with the name Ford? In that case, I would go with a very classic and somewhat long girls name that is definitely feminine, to draw associations away from the car aspect. For example, Alexandra Ford sounds great and doesn’t make me think of cars at all. But Avery and Emery are both “modern” names, and when combined with Ford, they start to read a little bit as “BRAND”…because car model brands these days tend to use names with similar sounds/feeling. (The one that leaps to mind is Camry. Although it’s a Toyota brand, obviously, when I hear “Emery Ford”, I do think “car” very strongly. I think it’s because Emery sounds like Camry, which also reads as car. Emery Ford, Camry Ford. Avery is similar, maybe because of Avis car rentals.)
If you really like the feminine-modern-surname-names, like Emery and Avery, then I LOVE Swistle’s suggestion of Ellery in your situation. Ellery Ford doesn’t remind me of cars at all. Neither does Everly, though it has the same “v” into “f” issue and the long e ending (the latter might not be an issue for you of course). Others I could think of were Cassidy, Tatum, Delaney.
I considered Kennedy, but it also reads very strongly as “brand” (not cars, but still, brand) and I think you need a completely neutral first name to balance out Ford. Other names from the category you tend to like that I would rule out for being too strongly branded on their own: Bailey, Brooklyn, Reagan.
A random assortment of other names I think sound good with your surname, not necessarily your style:
Georgia (I know a Georgia with your last name)
Felicity
Jessamy
Julia
Daisy
Clara
Amity
Annaleigh
Carys
Grace
Andrea
Zoe
Dahlia
I think another thing to think about (if you consider new names) is to avoid a name with a hard ending, like say Annabel, London, Scarlett… Ford also ends in a hard sound, and it might not sound 100% right to you rhythmically to have the two hard endings close by each other. Picking a name that ends in “a” eliminates this problem.
But the biggest issue of all for you with your dislike of the surname Ford (I’m guessing) is the branding association. In that case, between Avery and Emery, Avery is the clear winner because it has fewer linguistic sound associations with cars (though they are still there). But in your place I’d still keep looking for something more neutral/feminine but stylistically similar, like Ellery, Cassidy, or a traditional girl’s first name like Emily, Alexandra, etc.
One more note- have you considered Emerson? Emerson Ford reads as rather masculine to me, but it doesn’t have any car associations. I think Emerson Elizabeth Ford is a great name!
The first name that popped into my head for you was Everly! I am a big fan of it. Everly Ford sounds really nice. Everly Lynn Ford.
I agree Emory is trending as much as Avery. Everly and Ellery are very likely to follow… but I still love Everly.
Other names from my list that might fit your tastes and sound good w Ford:
Briony
Elodie
Verity
But Everly is still my fav for you….
Emory Ford reminds me of an emery board. They are both a bit too popular for my taste, but I like a lot of the suggestions from Swistle and other readers.
I like Ford as a last name. Actually, I like it as a first name too (named my son F0rd0n).
The thing is, you need a rhythm going into it: Marjorie Lynn Ford or Amy Elizabeth Ford. Amy Ford works on its own.
With a one-syllable last name, you need a long first name if you’re going to have Lynn in the middle.
I like a 4-syllable name with Ford. Angelica Ford, or something with that rhythm.
What about Sylvie Eizabeth Ford? Or Linley Elizabeth Ford to incorporate both Lynn and Elizabeth? I feeling like Elizabeth is the more fitting middle just for the length and flow alongside your last name. Anything-Lynn-Ford sounds more abrupt. Not a deal breaker but something to take note of. I hate to say it but I thought of Emory Ford/emory board as well. I think how many Avery’s you come across really depends on where you live. If you feel like it’s the top contender if not for the popularity factor try checking your area’s stats. The SSA database will tell you how many Averys were born in your state (assuming you live in the US). Out of Swistle’s suggestions I’m a big fan of Everly. Everly Elizabeth sounds quite classy.
I love the suggestion of Elodie Ford. Feminine, un-trendy, and sounds great with either middle name.
I second the suggestions of Ellery, Everly, and Emily. The other name that came to mind was Mary – probably not your still, but still more unexpected than any of these choices.
If you are truly bored by popularity, I’d avoid names Avery and Emery like the plague – they are today’s equivalents of Beverly, Kelly, and Ahsley: one-hit wonders that will sound dated in 10 years. Not to mention they are both easily prone to nicknaming – do expect her to go by Ava or Emmy at some point.
You could also look for a name incorporates “Lynn” somehow:
Avelyn
Emelyn
Evelyn (similar to both your favourites)
Madelyn
Adalyn
Ashlyn
Catelyn
Amelyn
Malyn
Rosalyn
Lynette
I agree with those who are suggesting a more standard girl’s name may work best with your surname. I would also suggest a two syllable name if you want to avoid nicknames/name shortenings — especially if you live in the US. Names beginning Em- or El- are susceptible to being shortened to Em/Emmie or El/Ellie. Avery, which when pronounced quickly becomes Av’ry, probably is less likely to be shortened to its first syllable. Would you consider Mallory?
I’d name her Avery Elizabeth Ford.
I don’t think Avery is too popular. I know children with names higher in the SSA Top Names list who’ve never had a child with the same name in their elementary school classroom. And because Emery Ford made me immediately think of emory board too, I’d choose Avery over Emery.
As for her middle name, I hope you’ll honor your Granny by using her name Elizabeth. I’m sure she’ll be overjoyed with this wonderful gift. (And sadly, Grannies aren’t with us forever.) If you have a second daughter someday, she could have Lynn as her middle name.
Also Elizabeth is one of the most classic female names and would add the feminization some have suggested to your daughter’s name:
Avery Elizabeth Ford… Avery Ford
I think it’s a lovely name, and I’m guessing others will too!
I like Swistle’s suggestions of Ellery and Delaney.
How about Avalon? Avalon Elizabeth Ford.
PS Before writing my comment above, I reread your letter and saw that your baby is due any day. There have been many suggestions for names other than Avery or Emery, but my concern is that if you switch to a different name right before — or right after — your daughter is born, you may have name regret sooner or later. I’m guessing that Avery and Emery — names so very similar — best fit with you and your husband’s image of your daughter. Many of the names suggested are great names, but very different in style from Avery and Emery. That’s why I suggested you go with one of *your* two names: Avery. It seems that sometimes parents agonize too much over a name they really would like to name their baby, but have some little concern about. I don’t think most people who hear your baby’s name will see anything questionable about using Avery with your surname Ford.
I notice too that your husband’s first choice for a first name is Avery, and that your first choice for a middle name is Elizabeth. So it does seem that Avery Elizabeth could be the perfect name for *your* baby.
Best wishes — and I hope you’ll let us know what you named your baby.
There seem to be two issues here:
1. Is Avery too popular?
You may have seen Swistle’s comments about name popularity, but if not: http://swistlebabynames.blogspot.com/2008/05/even-top-10-is-not-necessarily-kiss-of.html
Avery (which seems to be the better choice with Ford) isn’t in the top 10 and almost certainly still won’t be when the 2012 SSA stats are released. (Names don’t usually jump more than a couple of places in a year once they’re in the top 50 or so.) So looking at Swistle’s analysis, it is even less statistically likely that there will be another Avery (currently ranking 18) in your daughter’s elementary school classroom.
2. Does the surname Ford make Avery or Emery unworkable? That’s a subjective question: how do you feel about Avery or Emery with your surname? And if you have any concerns, are those greater than your wanting to call your daughter Avery (rather than Avalon, etc.) or, your apparent second choice, Emery (rather than Emilia, etc.)?
Really, I don’t see any -objective- reason not to use Avery, the name you both seem to love best.
What is your husband’s objection to using Elizabeth? I find it interesting that he really wants to name this baby after you – what is behind his reasoning? Understanding that may help you pick the middle name.
It seems that you have some wonderful names to choose from, so maybe just meeting your daughter will make it very clear which names you want to use.
Just to throw out a suggestion, what about a combination of names & sounds and using Linnea.
Linnea Elizabeth?
Have you considered Eliza Lynn? That might be a good compromise. Eliza is cute and could be after your grandmother. I agree with the previous commenter about finding out why your husband is set on naming the baby after you if you aren’t crazy about the idea?
My maiden name is Ford so I will throw out all the names of the women in our family who were born a Ford to give you an idea.
Karen Lee
Kathy Lee
Skye Ann
Ashley Rachelle
Bridget Ann
Debbie Lee
Arleta Mae
Valerie Marie
Leanna
Miranda Jane
Jacee Paige
Amber
Gracie
Ella
Eileen
Riki Lee
Bias alert…my daughter’s name is Emery so clearly I adore it! Although its popularity is on the rise, it is still fairly uncommon. I think it’s more on people’s radar now. You say the name Emery and it’s not weird, people have heard of it. But my daughter is 2 1/2 and we’ve yet to meet another Emery. Point being, I doubt she’ll every have another Emery in her class…I don’t think it’s too popular yet. Good luck!