Hi! We are expecting a little girl in March and we are having trouble coming up with a name. Our surname sounds like Coil, and my grandma and our favorite person in the world’s name is Judell. I LOVE how unique her name is but it will always be a grandma name to me. We thought about Adele, but we didn’t want people to think we named our daughter after a singer, as angelic as her voice might be.
Her middle name will be Kay…Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
If Judell is pronounced as I’d guess (joo-DELL), then it is a member of a highly-sought-out group of middle names: two-syllable names with the emphasis on the second syllable. That type of name tends to work with many, many first/last combinations, and it’s also a little hard to find, which is why so many of us have Nicole or Marie. You’ve said the middle name will be Kay and that you’re looking for a first name, but in case those preferences aren’t yet set in stone, I will still start by suggesting Judell as the middle name. The middle name is the perfect place for the name of your favorite person in the world, when the name isn’t what you want as a first name. (I’d be inclined to go straight to suggesting Kay Judell, but I’m not as fond of the sound of Kay Coil.)
If you definitely want the honor name (1) altered and (2) as a first name, then I’d start as you did already: by looking for names with similar sounds. Adele is out, but perhaps:
Delaney
Della
Jada
Jude
Judith
Julia
June
The main issue, it seems to me, is that none of those do a very good job of calling the honoree to mind. Delaney, for example: my name is Kristen, and if a grandbaby were named Tenley after me I would have trouble bragging about that to my group of grandma friends. If you aren’t set on the middle name, you could consider something like Jade Ella Coil, or Julia Della Coil, or Delaney June Coil: something that breaks the name up and redistributes it, increasing the honor by adding more pieces of the name.
Or you could reproduce the TYPE of name Judell is. Do you know how it was chosen? For example, were her parents considering Judith but decided to change the ending to make it more unusual? Or was she named after a Judith and an Eleanor? Or was she named for a Grandpa Jude? Depending on the answer + the equivalent available names in your family, you might be able to make a name the same way.
In some families, matching the initial(s) is considered an honor name. If this is the case in your family, any J name would work. Josephine Kay, Jillian Kay, Juliet Kay. Even better would be matching first and middle initials if possible.
You know your mind better than I do, but I would suggest not entirely ruling out using Judell as-is for the first name. You said it will always be a grandma name to you, but I am not sure that would be the case if the name were on your baby girl. My guess is that we have among us many parents who used a grandparent name for their child and have found the name able to stretch to both. I can picture Judell on a grandmother, but I’m imagining seeing it on a class list and I think it’s got a lot of potential. You could say “She’s named after my grandmother,” and call her Jude or Ella for short.
And I will push one more time for my top-favorite option, which is to leave the name intact and use it as the middle name. It’s such a good place for honor names.
We used Dorothy for my daughter as a middle name after my favorite person in the world (also my grandmother). I call her Dot, Dory, Dora, Norah Dora (her first name is Norah) and everyone seems charmed by it. I agree with Swistle that the middle name is a perfect spot for an out-of-date honor name. Before I had my daughter, I wouldn’t have ever considered Dorothy as a first name. But now that she is here, I could have easily been happy if we chose Dorothy as her first. Hopefully that brings you a little comfort if you do decide to use Judell as a first. For what it is worth, I think the name works wonderfully as a first and I love the nicknames Jude, Dell, Della, or Ella.
Unrelated, but yay for another little Dorothy! It’s her first name and we call ours Dory/Dora. :)
Yay! It’s funny how both Dora (Dora the Explorer) and Dory (from Finding Nemo) are such big pop culture references, but once it’s attached to an actual little person, those associations fall away a bit.
I would pick one of the two sounds in the name and use it somehow – I think Judith is so lovely and the ‘th’ sound is very on-trend (according to Nameberry), but Della/Delancey or some other Dell name would be very sweet and appropriate as well. I can’t wait to hear you what you pick!
Judell is so pretty and unique! Don’t change it!! Perhaps the middle could be Kay-Judell if you’re set on Kay.
The name Jude Eleanor sprung to mind and I would definitely see the connection to Judell.
I’d also consider using Judell as a middle name, though I agree with Swistle that I wouldn’t swap it for Kay. Maybe another K name? Katherine is lovely with Judell. Kara? Kayla?
Just adding my vote for Judell as is as the first name. It’s so unique and the namesake aspect just makes it that much more special.
I love Judell as a first name, nn Jude or Dell. I think you could also use the nickname Ellie if that is more your style.
I also wanted to add, being a unique name, I personally do not think of it as a grandma name but even if I did, I think “grandma” names are in style these days! (Evelyn, Esther, Millie, Josephine and Cora are all girls in my daughters’ daycare classrooms and, in my opinion, are “grandma” names that are adorable and incredibly in style).
I also am kind of digging Judell as the first name!! Could throw an extra e on the end to clarify spelling if they want – Judelle is close enough to the Isabelles and Anabelles that I don’t find it grandma-ish. And so many natural cute nicknames!! Della, Ella, Ellie, even Judy. Judelle Kay is a nice name.
*to clarify pronunciation. Oy!
Whoa, interesting–for me, adding the “e” at the end modernizes it by like 150%! Judelle seems pretty cool and a lot less dated–seems more like a graceful, Frenchish feminization of Jude. I vote for this!
I am sold on Judelle. You’re honoring her, and it looks very fresh with naming trends this way. Also, the extra e makes it her own while still be an honor.
Judelle Coil. I LIKE IT.
If I were you I would consider Judy/Judie or Jodi/Jodie. They’re both cute and sweet and similar enough to Judell to make it a pretty clear derivative. I also feel like these two names are due for a revival in the manner experienced by other common mom-names.
Maybe two middles would help you get more sounds of the name in and also keep Kay. With Kay and the surname being short, I don’t think it would be cumbersome at all. Something like:
Jade Elizabeth Kay C.
Judith Ellen Kay C.
June Eleanor Kay C.
Also, my daughter’s name is June Dell (family names from both sides). That gets pretty darn close to Judell.
I like Judell as a first name!! It’s unique but also easy to say and spell. Or use it as a middle name. I personally don’t like changes to an honor name. It really dilutes the honor, I think. Good luck!
I agonized over giving my daughter the name Margaret. It’s my grandma’s name and also my middle name (after Grandma, of course). I pictured her hating having an “old lady” name and wishing she had something trendier. And then – old lady names became trendy! There are other young Margarets around now, but even if there weren’t, and even if it seemed stuffy and old, she loves her name and we get many comments about how it just fits her.
That doesn’t mean you have to use Judell as the first name – I really like the middle name option as well. But if you do use it as a first name, it will probably go from feeling like a grandma name to feeling like the perfect name for your daughter pretty quickly!
I’ve never heard the name judell before but to me it fits fine on a baby born nowadays. I wonder if it’s an option to add an ‘e’ – Judelle. To today’s audience this might clarify the pronunciation as well as bin my opinion) de-clunk and de-grandma it.
Oh, me again, would you consider ‘Elle’ a first name option as an honour to judell?
I also think Judell as a first name is still a great option itself. I love that it has so many nickname options… Judy, Jude, Della, Ellie, Ella. I especially love Della Kay though.
I’m afraid i just don’t like the sound of Judell, so i won’t recommend that you use it as a first name. I do think it would be sweet to put it in the middle spot; if Kay is another honor name, you could pick any name starting with K as your daughter’s first and nickname her K –> Kay.
I also like the idea of the combination Judell (Judy Eloise, June Adela, Juno Delta, etc.).
I like Judell as it is for a first name. She will fit right in with all her classmates named Esther, Harriet, Hazel, Tillie, Alice Margaret, Evelyn, Claire, etc. My second choice option would be to go with Judella which seems to modernize it a bit while retaining a clear connection to the honorees name. My third choice option would be to go with Judith. With any of these options I would probably use Jude as a nickname.
Another option you want to consider is using two middle names. With Coil, I like:
Ava Judell Kay
Iris Judell Kay
Eliza Judell Kay
Beatrice Judell Kay
I love Judy Garland so much that, in combination with Judell being the name of your favorite person, I wouldn’t hesitate to use Judell/Judy. She’ll know her great-grandmother, and she’ll see The Wizard of Oz when she’s old enough, and Judy (as a name or a nickname) will feel fresh and special! You could even get her little ruby slippers for a newborn photo shoot. Okay, I’m smitten, sorry! I just love this a lot.
I immediately thought Julia Dell until the piece about Kay being the mn. So I guess my second choice Della Kay
I’m going to join the ranks and say add an “e” to the end and name her Judelle! I think it’s a beautiful and unique name and I think your Grandma would be honored you named your daughter after her. As someone stated above, so many possibilities for nicknames! Or- if you are set on not naming her Judell/Judelle, I second the rankings in suggesting it being used as a middle name. It’s too cool of a name to pass up!!
I will also suggest Judella, Jewel, Giselle, Jadell, Janelle, Jodell.
Please use Judell/Judelle Kay!
Can I make a plug for two middle names here? Sometimes I think it’s overkill but it makes so much sense in your situation. What about Judell Kay as two middle names, and you could just pick your favourite name as the first name?
Alternately, some version of Judith / Jude / June as a first. Mix and match as you like with first middle options of Eleanor, Ella, Ellen, Ellissa, Ellis, Ellison, Della, Delta. And then still use Kay as a second middle name.
I’m a huge fan of June Delta Kay, Judith Ellison Kay, or Jude Ellison Kay!
I do love Judell as the first name though. Lots of good, more in-style nicknames for Judell… Jude, Dell, Della, Ella, Ellie…
Another vote for Judelle!
Are you planning on having more children? If so, how about saving Jude as an honour if you have a son in future? Maybe this baby could be Elle? (Depending on if you have other honour names you’d like to use and wouldn’t mind “spreading out” Judell among two children. Could get dicey if you have a third and don’t have an honour name).
I really like Swistle’s suggesting of Della. Partially because it’s so similar to Judell, but also because I think it’s an awesome standalone name. You could call her Dell for short, which – for me, anyway – really conjures up your grandmother’s name.
I’m also with everyone else – Judell, or the alternate Judelle, is totally totally fabulous. Like many others have pointed out, “grandma” names are totally back in style and this one has so many other aspects to it that are also trendy but not in the old lady category (The beginning sounds, Ju- are like the popular June and Jude and Juliet names… the -ell are like the popular Ella type names). It’s a unique name but isn’t difficult to pronounce.
Alternatively, I love the suggestion of doing a split between the first and middle name to get close to the same name such as
June Ella Kay Coil
Jude Ella Kay Coil
June Katherine or June Kay are fabulous.
Have you looked at baby names starting with Ju- ?
Junella
Junette
Juliet or Juliette
Julianna
I almost wonder if Swistle is right, if you don’t love the name Judell or something similar that you love and still feel like it honors your grandma then I would almost move it to middle name space and use a first name that has no restrictions and one that you choose because you love it.
Good luck!
I know a Della and it’s a very pleasing name. I actually like Judell. I could see an argument for “modernizing” it by spelling Judelle.
I also like Judy.
If you love me Adele I wouldn’t worry about the singer too much. You will likely get comments, but a simple “actually she’s named for my grandmother” should shut those down.
Otherwise, I’d look at the components of Judell. Della comes to mind right away for me. As does Judith. Judy is still a bit mom nameish for me, but the full Judith strikes me as more vintage/fresh. Julia could work but seems a bit too removed I think. But perhaps Jewell? I also really like Jude, but I would probably use that for a boy (I have a soft spot for cross gender namesakes).
My mind immediately wanted to know the origin/inspiration of Judell, so maybe there’s something there to work with. I also love Swistle’s suggestion of June. I’m also a big fan of initials standing in for an honor name. If our second had been a boy, the initials would have matched my late father.
Good luck naming your girl! :)
Judell would strike me as a modern variation of Judith (I know a *lot* of grandmas named Judith) if I saw it on a school attendence list. You could use several popular current nicknames for your girl’s age group (Jude, Ella, etc). Not so much a grandma name as Grandma’s name. Your great-grands were just really forward thinking! My own grandma is named Gerald. Yes, Gerald.
Another vote for Judelle!
Otherwise I suggest: Elle or Joelle
I love the idea of naming her Judell and calling her Jude. I think it would fit in with the Frances/Frankies and Charlotte/Charlies in the world.
Name her Judell, call her Della.
Love Judell. It is way too rare to be a “grandma” name- for most of the folks who meet your daughter she will be the only Judell they ever know! Jude or Della are great nicknames.
Jude Elle Kay Coil would get you closest. It means two middles, but then you’d have flexibility. If, once you were using it, you wanted to call her Jude Elle/Judell, you could. Or you could stick with just Jude or some nickname from that (Judy being mentioned a few times already). You might not know how you feel about using the actual name until it’s on a real child so this would allow you the option after the fact.
Since I have never heard that name, it doesn’t necessarily seem like a “grandma” name to me. Plus, as everyone has pointed out, grandma names are in. Your daughter will fit right in. In my family, we have a Hazel, Ida, and Harriet! If you like the sound of it, I’d use it for the first name. That, to me, is the ULTIMATE honor name. :) First name, no variation. However, PERSONALLY I’m not a huge fan of the sound of it, so I’d be more inclined to use it as a middle. It does make a wonderful middle and sounds good with basically any first name you choose. That’s just a personal preference though. I do think it’s unique and could be very cute on a little girl. It does have some sweet nickname options, too. Dell, Judy, Jude…all cute.
I love Judell. I prefer the original spelling. It’s unusual but easy to pronounce and similar to many popular names. It sounds good with your last name. And the nickname potential is great. My favorites are Judy and Dell.
I love Judell as a first name. I love it even more spelled Judelle. Judelle Kay Coil. Lovely.
I like Jude Elle (or Jude Elle Kay)–with Jude Elle either as a double-barrel first, or as first and middle. I think Jude is a pretty cool unisex-ish name! And if you do it that way, I think it maintains the namesake feel (with an update), unlike a change to June or Janelle, or similar, which doesn’t feel like so much of an honor.
That said, I know a 15 year old Judith who wears it well, which makes me think Judell isn’t unacceptably unfashionable. On a side note, seeing the name outside of the context of this question, I think I would be unsure of whether it was “Jud-ell” or “Jude-ell”, which is another reason I think Jude Elle would be my preference in your position.