[The summer schedule at our house is making it hard to keep up with posts, but I thought this one would make for a good discussion topic and poll:]
W. writes:
My husband and I are expecting a second daughter any day now and we currently have a shortlist of name possibilities. Our two-year old is Daphne Elisabeth (last name sounds like Cable with a “Kr”). My favorite potential name lately has been Phoebe since I feel like it coordinates so well with Daphne and has the same characteristics we love about Daphne, but I worry that it’s just too similar. Both names are Greek, both end in an “ee” sound, both have a “ph”, both two syllables. I can’t decide if the matchiness is a good thing or an eye-roll inducing cutesy thing.
Other first names in the running:
Juliet
Camille
Alice
BlytheMiddle name will be another longer, feminine classic like Caroline, Josephine, etc. We’re most likely done with two kids but on the off chance we had a third girl, I also wonder what in the world would go with those two and not sound out of place. So do you think Daphne and Phoebe pair well as sisters? Or do you think another name on our list (or not on our list) would coordinate better?
Thanks! I’ll send an update once we have her the first half of July!
[yop_poll id=”20″]
I don’t think they are too similar, though I would also be concerned about what to name a 3rd with sisters Daphne and Phoebe.
My first thought was another name with similar sounds, even if it wasn’t Greek. So maybe something like Daphne, Phoebe and Fiona.
Or, you could do another Greek name that has some sounds in common. Daphne, Phoebe and Chloe maybe.
I love the combination of Daphne, Phoebe, and Fiona. Good call!
Daphne and Phoebe work well for me, and actually if you did have a third girl, they sound really good with Alice. Daphne, Phoebe and Alice. And they’d all have an ‘e’ ending in common.
I love Daphne and Phoebe and definitely don’t think they are too cutesy.
In regards to a third sister name, I also like the previous posters suggestions of Fiona and Chloe. Others I like with Daphne and Phoebe are Margot, Penelope, Sophie, and if you don’t use Josephine as a middle this time it’d be a good first name too.
Daphne, Phoebe, and Margot – quirky and cute
Daphne, Phoebe, and Penelope – greek roots
Daphne, Phoebe, and Sophie – greek roots/share the “ph”
Daphne, Phoebe, and Josephine – share the “ph”
I think they’re too similar, especially for sisters born consecutively – if you had three girls named Daphne, Calista and Phoebe they wouldn’t look as close. I wouldn’t have any issue with them having the same origins, but with the “ph” and both ending in “ee” and having the same number of syllables AND both being fairly uncommon (at least in my experience). I think people would mix the girls up more than they would with names that didn’t share so many characteristics.
I think from the list you have, Daphne and Juliet “Cable” sound great together! Also, if you do end up going with Phoebe, I would use Caroline as the middle name rather than Josephine repeats the “ph” and the long “ee” sound.
A few Greek names that I think work with Daphne (if Greek origin is important):
Daphne and Calista
Daphne and Alexandra
Daphne and Charis
Daphne and Cleo
Daphne and Thalia
Daphne and Daria
Daphne and Penelope
Or, I put Daphne, Phoebe, Juliet, Camille, Alice and Blythe into Nymbler, and it suggested some of the following:
Lydia
Lucy
Iris
Charlotte
Violet
Ivy
Grace
Julia
Lyra
Celeste
Elise
Corinne
Claire
Hope this helps! Good luck!
I LOVE Daphne and Pheobe together!!!
I think for a third, of you have a third, Blythe goes well with them.
or Zoey, or Chloe.
The names are a borderline close to me. If you’d regret not using Phoebe, then use it. If you can find something you love equally, then go with that. Here’s a good list of some greek names, since that seems to be the direction you like.
http://appellationmountain.net/penelopes-sisters-names-from-greek-myth/
I think Daphne and Phoebe are great together! Yes, there are some similarities, but they don’t rhyme and are distinct enough.
I like subtly coordinating names for siblings. One of our sons named his first son the Greek Christopher. Along came another boy, and I suggested Alexander, also Greek with multi syllables and ‘er’ ending; they decided to use that name. And then yet another boy who was given the Greek name Nicholas. So far the almost 9, 6 and 4 year old boys are called by their full names.
Daphne and Phoebe are linked in a baby name book I was looking at recently: “…Daphne shares an ageless Greek beauty with Phoebe and Chloe…” [There you are, a back-up name just in case you have another little girl: Chloe.] And the same reference — “A is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books” – -waxes eloquent about Phoebe: “This shimmering name is as ancient as the Bible (the Apostle Paul’s friend, mentioned in Romans) and the Greek Myths (Phoebe was a Titan, the daughter of Gaia [another Greek name possibility for a 3rd sister] and Uranus), but sounds really stylish for today’s girls. Luminous Phoebe is a nature appellation (the Phoebe bird), a Shakespearean handle (Phebe appeared in “As You Like It”), and is the younger sister of Holden Caulfield in Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”. The meaning is fabulous too: “bright, shining star.”…”
I love the name Phoebe (we almost had a Phoebe in our extended family…) and see it as a perfect sibling pairing with Daphne. I hope you’ll use it for your second daughter.
Best wishes!
The first name that popped into my head as a sister for Daphne was Cordelia. Not sure it would pair well with a longer middle name though.
I do like Daphne and Phoebe together, but agree that they have many similar sounds that can get mixed up.
I ADORE Daphne and Phoebe together. I have a Daphne and couldn’t sell my husband on Phoebe for our second daughter, but I tried hard! (We ended up choosing Violet for her.)
I love Daphne and Phoebe! Great name.
I think Daphne and Phoebe are perfect sister names. I love Blythe as a third girl name (or as a second, if you’re unsure of Phoebe after all!)
Gorgeous combo, Daphne and Phoebe! I also love Daphne and Alice :)
Phoebe is lovely and, although it does have some similarities in sound to Daphne, I don’t think it is enough to be a deal breaker. Daphne and Phoebe are cute and quirky together. I really like the sound of Phoebe Caroline too. If you really love it just do it!
I really love Daphne and Josephine together too.
Some other suggestions:
Mabel (Daphne and Mabel are adorable together!)
Margaret
Celia
Cecilia
Hazel (Love this!)
June
Ada
Sylvia
Mae
Other sister names? Cecilia Mae, Mabel Josephine, Ada Juliet, Hazel Caroline, June Victoria, Alice Katherine, Margaret Amelia, Celia Penelope, Sylvia Charlotte and Mae Susanna.
Hope this helps and all the best!
I spend a lot of time thinking about this very question!! My favorite girls name is Daphne. I LOVE Daphne. You have great taste! : ) So naturally, as someone who loves names and spends a lot of time reading blogs and baby name books, I think a lot about sister names for Daphne. I’ve wondered if Daphne and Phoebe are too close, and am so happy to hear mostly positive things about them as sister names. I think they work great together and really, really hope you use them! They both end in the ‘ee’ sound but different consonants, so I think it works. It’s not like Daphne and Evadne, or Daphne and Ariadne, which I think are too similar as they both end in ‘nee’ sounds.
IF you ended up with a 3rd daughter, I think Chloe and Zoe are too popular for both Daphne and Phoebe, even though they are lovely. Penelope is another favorite but is also getting quite popular! Here are names I daydream about to go with Daphne and Phoebe.
Hera – a Greek goddess
Iris – another Greek goddess
Julia – a Roman name
Junia – another Roman name
Juno – a Roman goddess
Petra – a Greek name meanining rock. Also a place name!
Philippa – also Greek, but too close to Phoebe probably
Pippa – instead of Philippa!
Petra and Pippa are my favorites. Daphne, Phoebe and Pippa. Or, Daphne, Phoebe and Petra.
For what it’s worth, we are TTC and if it’s a boy, we’ve decided on Atlas; if it’s a girl, she’ll be Daphne. I daydream about having an Atlas and a Daphne!
I can’t wait to hear what you choose!
Love Daphne and Phoebe as sisters! I think the previous suggestion for a third girl named Sophie is great, it has the ph and long e sound.
i also think that Daphne and Phoebe go great together. if you did have a third girl at some point, i think there are plenty of mythical / Greek names to choose from.. or names that just “sound” similar.
Daphne and Phoebe are too similar for my taste, but if you love them who cares? I wouldn’t worry too much about the potential name of a hypothetical third girl. And if you do end up with a third girl someday, it sounds like you have a great short list to start with. Wishing you good luck (in both naming her and in your upcoming delivery!)
So funny that you write about this – I have ALWAYS associated Daphne and Phoebe with each other. They just feel like they’re made for each other! I love Phoebe Caroline or Phoebe Alexandra as potential combinations. :) Good luck!
Love Daphne and Phoebe! And the most obvious name for a third daughter would be Sophie! It’s perfect as it has ph, two syllables and its Greek. Other suggestions for a third daughter would be Chloe and Xanthe.
Just been reading the other comments and other suggestion that I liked for third daughter would be Penelope and Philippa/ Pippa
Daphne and Phoebe are an excellent pairing. Perfect, really.
So good choice!
If you have another girl, here are some Greek ideas:
Alethea
Bryony (flower connection here with Daphne, too!)
Calliope
Circe (two syllables, ends with ‘ee’ sound)
Cosima
Delphine (too close to Daphne perhaps)
Elodie (another flower connection)
Irene
Lydia
Melita
Minerva
Peony (flower here, too)
Phaedra (too close to Phoebe?)
Rhoda
Selene
Theodora
THISBE! (oh, I do like this one A LOT)
Zoe
Daphne, Phoebe, and Thisbe all are Greek, have that magical hidden ‘h’, are two syllables, AND end with the ‘ee’ sound.
But whatever you and your husband decide, best wishes to your entire family as you welcome your new daughter!
I love Thisbe! It’s a great name! I think I’d choose either Phoebe OR Thisbe, as they both end in ‘bee’. However, it is a favorite of mine : )
I think Daphne and Phoebe are cute together, but I just wanted to suggest Hebe as an alternative. In my mind it is very close to Phoebe, but you lose the ‘ph’ so it is not quite as matchy with Daphne. I know a girl called Hebe and it has always seemed a very elegant name to me.
Daphne and Phoebe sound great together, but there is a reason which you may or may not be interested in.
By now I’m sure you’ve heard the myth of Daphne, who became a laurel tree to escape the unwanted advances of Apollo. One of Apollo’s additional titles was Phoebus, sometimes used to stand in for his name.
So personally I would avoid the pairing, simply due to my nerdy myth knowledge–to me it would be like naming two daughters Willa and Kate (worse, I suppose, since Apollo and Daphne’s “love story” ended badly).
I saw someone above mentioned Xanthe, which I love, but I thought I would also throw in Ianthe, which is Greek for purple flower. Google her myth first though.
Other names from Greek myths:
Althea
Aster
Calliope (a muse! I love this one with Daphne)
Eirene (original form of Irene, pronounced eh-RAY-nay, or close to that anyway)
Evanthe (“good flower”)
Helen/e/a
Hero (love with Daphne!)
Good luck!
Daphne, Phoebe, Penelope, Zoe, and Callista Cable!
I love these names together. I think they work great. I’m secretly hoping for girl twins and those are the names we are planning to use.
Me too! I’m dreaming of twin girls Daphne and Phoebe! : )
As I have a Ramona (Mona) and will have an Althea (Thea) in about 5 weeks or so, I obviously don’t have an issue with rhyming or similar sounds for two consecutive sisters names. Use it if you love it!
Daphne and Phoebe go together so well! It’s cute and it’s cool and it’s perfect. I hope you go for it.
I think Daphne and Phoebe go well together. As a sibling I think many of the above work really well, and I particularly like Thisbe and Blythe.
Some more (sorry if these are repeats):
Sophia
Casiphia
Aphra
Cynthia
Jacintha
I love Daphne and Phoebe together. We have a 2 year old Phoebe and her middle name is Alicia. Baby no 2 is due in a few months and Daphne is on the list of possible. I think though I am leaning towards Anthea Eve.
I have twins Phoebe and Leonora and then we just had another little girl and we named her Daphne. I do sometimes worry I’ve given two of my girls basically the same name but I love them both. I also wonder what I would call a fourth, I love Blythe & Alice but close friends have taken these names already. Iris would be great but DH has vetoed. I also like Josephine but then remember that in some like it hot the movie Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag are Daphne and Josephine. If I had another one tomorrow I’d probably go for Flora.