A. writes:
I’m getting down to the wire here on my due date, so I hope you can help because I love your site. My husband and I are expecting our second child on November 11. It will be a girl, and we also have another daughter, age 2 1/2. Our last name is Anderson and our 2 1/2 year old’s first name is Lyra. With my first daughter we had a much easier time choosing her name. We thought Lyra sounded pretty and liked its connections to several of our interests: literature (Lyra Belacqua in The Golden Compass trilogy), music (the name comes from the Greek for harp) and astronomy (there is a constellation named Lyra).
With so much going into our first daughter’s name, it has become very difficult to find a name for our second child that has as much significance. Also, this time around, I did not want a name that ended in “a” (Lyra has 4 cousins whose names all end in “a”) and I wanted to honor our family members in some way (Lyra’s middle name is a family name).
So…at this point, just a few weeks before my delivery, we have narrowed our choices down to 2 names: Grace or Celia. Obviously Celia ends in “a” but it is a family name and works well with Lyra, I think. If we go with Celia, we are planning on the full name to be Celia Rose – Rose being another family name from my husband’s side. My grandfather also went by the initials C.R. so there would be a family connection both ways.
However, I think we are leaning slightly towards Grace. Though it is not a family name it has some significance to me (for personal reasons I’d rather not share). The problem is that we are stuck on a middle name. Grace, with its one syllable, is easy to use as a middle name but harder to use as a first name as finding something to pair with it that sounds good is difficult. Here are our choices so far:
Grace Celia
Grace Aubrey (Aubrey has another literary connection; however initials would be GAA which aren’t the best)
Grace Elizabeth (sounds pretty but that’s also my middle name and I’m not crazy about using it for my child)
Grace Caldwell (another family name, which we like; however one of our nieces already has this middle name. We asked her parents if they minded if we used it and they said no, but I still think it feels weird to use it again).That’s where we are. I’d love your (and your commenters’) thoughts on which you prefer – Celia or Grace – as well as the best middle name to go with Grace.
Thanks!
I think both Celia and Grace go well with Lyra in their own ways. I like how Lyra and Grace are both noun names, and I like the way they sound together. I like Celia for its more comparable popularity: Grace has been in the top 25 for the last thirteen years, while in 2012 Celia was #742 and Lyra wasn’t in the Top 1000 at all. Grace feels like a very common name to pair with Lyra, and I think it could run together with your surname: Grey Sanderson.
It would shake up the plans considerably, but one option would be to use Celia Grace. This takes away the C.R. connection and the family name Rose, but on the other hand lets you use both the family name Celia and the name that has personal significance to you, while eliminating both the issue of popularity disparity and the issue of finding a middle name to go with Grace. If you’d rather not explain the personal significance of the name Grace to anyone (i.e., as opposed to just preferring not to broadcast it on the internet), the middle name feels like an even better place for it: tucked away like a happy secret meaning.
Another possibility is the name Ciel (see-ELLE). It’s French for sky, which makes it subtly themey with Lyra. Celeste and Stella both have that kind of connection, too, and are more familiar. Or Cecily is similar to Celia without ending in -a. But all of those lose the family name.
Of the middle names on the list for Grace, my favorite would be Elizabeth—except that you’d rather not use it. My second favorite is Caldwell—but again, it sounds like you’d rather not use it. In which case my next favorite is Grace Aubrey. I generally don’t like initials to spell things, but I’m not bothered by GAA. My least favorite is Grace Celia because of the way the sounds combine/repeat, but if you’re not going to be saying the two names together I don’t think that matters much, especially since Celia is a family name.
I’d love it if any commenters who know of a child named Grace would mention what middle name was used with it. My own rhythm preference with Grace would be a name with the emphasis on the second syllable: Grace Noelle, Grace Louise, Grace Louisa, Grace Estelle, Grace Minerva, Grace Matilda, Grace Virginia, Grace Victoria, Grace Cordelia, Grace Geneva, Grace Marilla, Grace Camilla, Grace Magnolia. I’d be especially drawn to the less common middle names.
Would any other virtue/feeling/noun name work as well as Grace? Clarity, Mercy, Constance, Honor, Charity, Faith, Patience, Joy, Temperance, Felicity, Haven?
Let’s also have a poll for the Celia or Grace issue:
[yop_poll id=”34″]
I like them both, but in the end I voted for Celia.
I did notice the popularity of Grace vs. Celia that Swistle mentioned.
I also wondered about your desire not to explain why Grace was important. I also wonder if you’d feel comfortable explaining it IRL? More importantly, would you feel comfortable explaining it to your daughter? If is is meaningful for reasons you’d rather not share with anyone, it seems like it looses some significance. Of course, I understand that this could just be an internet thing, so then my only hesitation about Grace would be popularity. & really, that’s not a deal breaker for me.
I know a Gracie (middle name Anne) but I don’t think Grace Ann flows as well. My favorite from your list is actually Grace Elizabeth and I like the idea that she’d be named after you. You’re considering other family names, so why not your own? Maybe you’d like something close, but not exactly your name? In that case, I really like Grace Eliza.
The initials GAA would be a deal breaker for me I think. They could be read as GAY, which seems like something too potentially tease worthy.
I know a Grace who is 4 years old and her middle name is Frances. Grace Frances. Very cute!
I like Celia best with Lyra (which is a gorgeous name!)
My grandmother was Grace Francis! Very close :-)
I really prefer the sound of Grace with Lyra, and before being bothered by the popularity gap I might check your state’s/area’s popularity stats. If you’re in a Grace-light region I really think it’s the more fitting choice! I love the idea of pairing it with a middle name containing Rose, since “Grace Rose” isn’t the best option. How about:
Grace Rosalie
Grace Rosaline (or Rosalind)
Grace Rosetta
Grace Rosabel
Rosalind is a moon of Uranus, too– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_(moon) Nice celestial connection to Lyra.
This is such a coincidence. I have a daughter with a four letter L name too, Lucy. My husband and I were just discussing that if we had another girl, he would want Grace and I would want Cecilia! We like the sound of Grace Cecilia, so I like Grace Celia Anderson for you. We’ve also discussed Grace Rosalie, which I think is just so charming. I think Celia Grace works nicely too, but I’m not a fan of the repeated a ending, that’s why I wouldn’t use my all time favorite of Cecily with Lucy, but perhaps Cecily Grace would work for you!
Lyra and Cecily Grace Anderson – LOVE!
I like Celeste with Lyra.
I know a Grace Jamila.
Oooh, Celeste is a good suggestion.
I also know a Grace Ann. I voted for Celia bc Grace is just too popular in my area.
I know an adult Grace Rose – she has gone by both names her whole life and I just love the sound. But for your situation, I think Celia Grace fits the best. Good luck!!
I love Celia wih Lyra! I also like other people’s suggestion of using a Rose name as a middle for Grace…especially Grace Rosalie. I know a little Grace whose middle name is Helena.
I actually was hesitant about Celia because I kept hearing it as “Seal Yanderson” … but, of course, you’d get used to putting a slight pause in there.
Celia Grace is very pretty.. I agree with all of Swistle’s reasoning there. I think I’d probably call her “Celia Grace” fairly often, in fact, because I feel like some kind of synergy happens when the names are paired that makes both even prettier (and they’re already pretty themselves!)! And short enough to use as a double-name. And helps separate it from your last name.
I know a Grace Marie — which sounds a bit like two frequently-used middle names to me, so it wouldn’t be my preference .. but I do like the flow of it (emphasizing the second syllable in the middle name–totally agree with Swistle there, too).
I too ran into issues saying Celia Anderson. It looks nice written out, but I don’t like the overlapping “a” sound. It makes the name hard to say clearly.
I think it depends on wether you say it “SEEL-ya” or “SEEL-li-ah”. The second pronunciation sounds much better with Anderson as a last name.
Except generally, everyone seems to pronounce it “Seel-ya”, and there’s no easy way to insure that everyone pronounces it an alternative way short of continuous correction.
For the pronunciation reasons explored in this short tandem thread, my vote went with Grace. But I also like that Grace has “hidden” meaning for the mom-to-be.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest Sage as a first name. I took a quick look at a list of constellations for ideas, since you mention that was an inspiration for naming Lyra, and saw Sagitta. Like Grace, it is a virtue name (“wisdom”), but its level of popularity more closely matches Lyra.
I think both Lyra and Grace are very pretty names but, like Swistle, I would be concerned about the mismatch in popularity. Still, they sound nice together so that wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for me.
If you use Grace, I like Caldwell as a middle name. I like the use of family surnames as middle names very much, and I don’t think it’s a big deal that a cousin already has it.
I voted for Grace. I think it flows with Anderson better than Celia does, and it has meaning for you.
As far as the middle name issue goes– I think there are many names that sound beautiful with Grace. My grandmother was named Grace Fr@ncis P0rter and my great-grandmother Grace Ashley. I like the rhythm of Grace Ashley a lot– are there any ends-in-ee sound names that you like?
Or how about other astronomy names, to tie in with Lyra?
Some possibilities:
Grace Emily
Grace Everly
Grace Lily (or Grace Lillian is very pretty too)
Grace Isabel (variant of Elizabeth– would be a nice touch. Lillian is also technically derived from Elizabeth)
Grace Eliza
Grace
On the mythological/astronomical front:
Grace Calliope (Calliope means “beautiful voice” and was the Greek muse of poetry– which ties into Lyra)
Grace Juno (there is an asteroid called Juno)
Grace Nova (astronomy again)
Grace Talitha (star name)
Grace Maia
Grace Helena (perhaps pronounced he-LAY-na?)
Grace Callista
Grace Phoebe
Grace Penelope
Grace Aurora (though you then run into GAA again, though I don’t think GAA is a deal breaker)
My big problem with Celia is its similarity to “celiac”, the gluten-sensitivity syndrome. Where I live (the East Coast) I seem to hear about “celiac” allll the time, so that Celia is ruined for me. Do you like Callista or Calliope?
My favorite of all the ones I listed is Grace Juno. Paired with Anderson, that is a name I would want for myself.
Good luck! Please do update us!
I like Callista it is Greek and has astrological connections and sounds rely good with Lyra. Has lovely nn of Callie.
Callista Rose
Callista Grace
Lyra and Callista
I think Celia Anderson flows less well than grace Anderson. Grace is very popular around here, but i still find it a very pretty name that doesn’t feel annoyingly overused. Lyra might be unusual, but it sounds popular and trendy, so it fits in with grace. I like it with the middle name Camille, but all of your ideas work, as do swistle’s.
I agree with this. While it is true Lyra is uncommon by the numbers, its sound is extremely on trend. It fits right in with the Lily/Lila/Layla/Leila/Delilah/Mila/Mira/Leah/Lia/Ella crowd. So, it is not at all surprising or startling paired with Grace. Not to me, at least.
If you like Grace better, I think you should go with it.
Grace Celia A— is lovely.
Grace Caldwell A—– is also nice and I wouldnt bat an eye about sharing it with a cousin or 2nd cousin.
I know three little Graces ages 1, 2 and 4. They are Grace Ryan, Grace Helen and Grace “mothers maiden name”. I love the suggestion above- Grace Rosalie! So pretty! Celia Grace is my other favorite for you.
I prefer Grace. I know a Grace Katherine and a Grace Monica.
However, given your interests, I recommend the following middle names.
Literature
Grace Valentine (Ender’s game)
Grace Hermione (Harry Potter)
Grace Arwen (Lord of the Rings)
Music
Grace Harmony
Grace Viola
Grace Aria
Grace Meody
Astronomy
Grace Nova
Grace Venus
To be it sounds like your heart is saying Grace, and your mind is saying Celia. Go with your instincts and if that leads you to Grace, then go for it. It is a beautiful timeless name, and goes wonderfully with Lyra.
A possible mn could be Nova (link to Lyra)? Grace Nova Anderson? I think Audrey or Aubrey also goes well with Grace!
Bingo!
(Or Celia).
I think Celia and Lyra are difficult to say together – kind of a tongue twister. So, I would vote for Grace among the two names proposed, but if there were a third less common name than Grace, I would vote for that.
My grandmother’s name was Ceilia and everyone called her Ceil. I thought her name was Grandma Seal til I was in middle school!
I like Swistle’s idea of choosing a different virtue name. I really like Constance. you could still keep your C.R. connection to family.
My Grace’s middle name is Lydia, which is my grandmother’s name.
What about Verity?
It’s a great, underused virtue name.
I love the sound of Celia Grace and would be tempted to always call her both together. I also like the sound of Celia Rose.
If you go with Grace, I love the idea of giving her your middle name.If that’s an absolute no go, I like the suggestion of Grace Rosalie. I feel like Grace Rose isn’t special enough next to Lyra and Rosalie gives it that little something extra while still kind of giving you the family name of Rose. I definitely feel like Grace needs a multiple syllable middle name for balance. I know 2 Graces born in the last couple of years and they’re Grace Isobel and Grace Marie. And the running joke in my family is that I should have been named Grace Murphy because I’m a huge klutz and Murphy’s law rules my life.
How about Grace Cecelia? To me the flow is much better than that of Grace Celia. I also second the suggestion of Cecily. Cecily Rose is pretty. Lyra and Cecily work great as sister names too!
If my youngest brother had been a girl, his name would have been Grace Danielle, which I think is pretty fantastic.
Lyra is a lovely name and I think another ‘heavenly’ name would be perfect for her sister.
Larissa
Phoebe
Portia
Calypso
Juliet
Dione
Rosalind
Nova
Carina
Halley
Aurora
All the best!
Carina
I know a Grace Ann and a Grace Nicole, and had an aunt named Graceann. :)
My goddaughter is Grace Virginia (one syllable last name), after her great-grandmother. I’ve always thought her name had a great flow to it.
I personally don’t like Celia with Lyra, so between the two, I’d choose Grace.
I prefer the combination of Lyra and Grace, and though Celia Grace is a great name, i think i prefer Grace Celia. I actually like all of your middle name choices too, so i would urge you to go with the one that has the most meaning to you.
I know several girls who go by Grace or Gracie. One is Grace Lynn and one is Grace Mackenzie. I agree with Swistle that a middle name with emphasis on the 2nd syllable sounds best, such as Grace Mackenzie. Grace is a beautiful name, but I voted for Celia just because of Grace’s popularity.
I also noticed how close Celia is to celiac’s disease – I can’t eat gluten so I’m more prone to notice it. But it is something to consider with millions of Americans having celiac’s and more on the rise. Still a lovely name though!
My favorites are some of the suggestions of literature or star/sky related names.
Calista (I just noticed that Calista Flockhart was born Nov. 11 – how funny!)
Calypso
Calliope
Juno
Etc.
I also really like Honor, November, Juniper and Felicity as word names.
How about Charis, which has the meaning grace? It’s out of the top 1000 just like Lyra.
… and you can keep the C.R. connection as well. Charis Rose or any of the other Rose options.