Hi Swistle,
We are expecting our third baby girl at the end of November! Our daughter’s names are Emerson Alexandra and Lennox Eloise. We are having trouble coming up with something we love for our newest addition! We obviously prefer unisex/gender neutral names and ones that are surname-ish paired with a more feminine middle name. We do not like nicknames so those are not a factor for us. We also prefer if the name isn’t something that is common (no Avery, Jordan, Finley, etc.) Our surname is long and Italian, M0scaritol0.
We have discussed so many names but none feel right. I’m looking for some new suggestions of ones we may have not thought of so far. We don’t use family names so we have no real inspiration and feel stuck!
Please help!
Samantha M.
This is a little tricky, because you’ve discussed so many names and want new suggestions you haven’t thought of—but of course we don’t know which ones you’ve discussed and which ones you haven’t thought of. We could easily end up making you a list of the same old names you’ve been over a hundred times before. But that list could still help other people looking for names of a similar style, so let’s give it a shot.
Brecken
Brennan
Brinley
Callan
Camden
Campbell
Carrigan
Colby
Crosby
Delaney
Delancey
Devany
Holland
Hollis
Keaton
Keller
Kieran
Kinley
Padgett
Presley
Quincy
Rooney
Rowan
Sterling
Name update:
Just wanted to drop by and update! Our rainbow baby girl was born on 12/6/17 and we hadn’t decided on a name before her birth! We ended up going with something that was not on our shortlist because it just fit her! It was a name we both said no to before but when I saw her I just knew it was the one!
Briar Caroline is now 1 month old and has brought our family so much joy!
Some additional thoughts that seem to match your style:
Blake
Foster
Hayes
Kirby
Sheridan
Sinclair
This is definitely my naming style so I’ll go ahead and throw some out there:
Kellen/Kellan
Elliot
Layton/Leighton
Lakyn/Laken
Gentry
Greer
Ramsey
Barrett
Keelyn
Keelie/Neely
Ansley
London
Britton
Hartley
Sutton
Sloane
Myka
Adler
Afton
Oops, forgot Logan
100% second all of these! The only one I thought of that isn’t here… Bellamy.
And how could I forget Griffyn/Griffin!
I’ll throw in a few…
Beaudry
Calloway
Devereaux
Keats
Porter
Sawyer
Smith
My first thought was Holland, and it made Swistle’s list. I also like Delaney, and Leighton and Sloane from a PP’s list. Halston and Ellis also come to mind.
A few other ideas:
Fielding
Channing
Chandler
Vernon
Vesper
Kinnell
Keegan
Mirren
Maddox ( might be too similar to Lennox)
Monroe
Bevin
Brantley
Raylan
One more to add to the list, because we know a little girl named this and I just love it:
Collins
My first thought was Sloane Frances. I think Sloane would meet your requirements and matches well while still having different sounds and initials than the previous names. I also like Sterling, but I think Sloane fits so well. Another thought for a feminine middle name would be Lillian and it’d go well with a name like Blake I think. Good luck!
We have a Holland paired with a very, very feminine middle name. We get consistent compliments on her name. I liked it because it was different without being difficult to pronounce when seen spelled, and easy to spell with just being heard. Our daughter is nearly 2 and we have never encountered any other “Holland’s” in her day school, play groups, etc. My biggest fear with the name was having people shorten it to Holly. To date, that has not even remotely been an issue. A few have asked if we called her that and when we say we didn’t, it was dropped entirely.
What about Lane? Short, different sounds (other than the repeat L, I know) than your other two daughters, and works well with the long last name. I also like the suggestion of Monroe. A few other ideas: Brooks, Carlisle, Frasier, James, Marlow, Renner, Reese. Good luck!
Oh my gosh, Delaney and Holland…either would be absolutely perfect with your sib set. Please please send us an update on this one!!
Swistle, thank you so much for posting this list, it’s exactly my style! I have boys named Charlie and Theo, but for girl names I don’t like Elizabeth, Olivia, Ava, etc. Holland has long been a favorite and this list gave me many great ideas!!
(FYI I had commenting issues again. Chrome wouldn’t work and I had to switch to IE. Such is my dedication to commenting!)
I was going to suggest Remington.
Interested to see what you decide on!
Harlow
Clancy
Morrow
Egan
Morgan
Morrigan
Morrison
Cooper (don’t use Alice as a middle name for this one)
Perry
Simmons
Sullivan
Ellis
Kennedy
Cody
Bishop
Howell
Larkin
Delgado (might be too much with the last name)
Starling
Doyle
Whitaker
Rourke
Landry
Valentine
Brennan
Devlin
Finnegan
Harrigan
Sheedy
Ooh Morgan! Great suggestion! I second that one for you!
I love the suggestion of Delaney. But I also thought Lochlyn/Lachlyn would work if you don’t mind repeating an initial.
Oh also love the suggestion of Rowen/Rowyn.
Quinn and Sutton came to mind, and for fun paired with feminine middles:
Quinn Juliette
Emerson, Lennox and Quinn
Sutton Isabelle
Emerson, Lennox and Sutton
I read your question and immediately thought Hollis–then saw Swistle suggested that too. Otherwise, how about Clay, Alder, Wells/Wellesley, or Temple?
Collins was the first name that came to mind. Emerson, Lennox and Collins.
Arlo
Asa
August
Briar
Charlie
Dylan
Eden
Everett
Frankie
Gray
Jace
Jette
Keelyn
Luca
Madden
Oakley
Ryan
Rylan
Sage
Scout
Spencer
Tate
Tatum
Teagan
Winslow
How about Parker? It’s unisex, surname without a nickname?
There’s also Winslow (may have nickname issue of Winnie though) or Arden but that’s more feminine though.
I’ve also met one girl Collins, I think that’s a really cute but strong name!
Collins is also the sister in The Blibd Side with Sandra Bullock – ever since I saw that I thought that was a cool name.
*Blind Side
Swistle’s B names reminded me of Brenton -she was in my elementary school. She had a male classmate that was Benton.
Okay im super crushing on Holland or Hollis for you. Here are a few suggestions…
Holland Margot
Hollis Juliette
Cairo Beatrice
Owen Isabeau
Brioney Sophia
Juniper Annabelle
Please send in a name update. I love your style!
How about Blair?
Maybe Kendall? I knew a little girl named Kendall and she was spunky and one of the cutest kids I’d ever met. Otherwise I love Sloane. It fits so perfectly with your girls.
Palmer
I thought of a few others:
Willoughby
Evanaugh
Murray
Myer
Murphy
Crosby
Reed
Reeve
I have new neighbors who have a little girl named Windsor, which I love! Maybe you’d like that too?
Emerson, Lennox and …
Darby
Ainsley
Teagan
Tiernan
Tierney
Adler
Romilly
Flannery
Sheridan
Sutton
Hollis
Marlo
Britton
West
Shae/Shea
Oh, and Blair or Bellamy. I like the suggestion of Windsor as well.
What about Campbell?
Emerson, Lennox and Campbell
Holliday or Hadley?
Grayson, Spencer or Winslet? Or even Winter!
Good luck!
I was coming to suggest Holiday too. I know a now young adult named that and it was sweet on her as a baby, cool as a teen and it has matured nicely. It’s fun and edgy (doc Holiday).
Kinsley?
We have two daughters – Parker and Reeve – both with feminine family middle names. Other contenders were Quinn, Tinsley, Delaney, Fielding, Devereux, Ambrose, Arden, Avalon (heaps more, but I’ll stop there!)
I know it’s not really unisex, but I’ll suggest Yardley anyway. Also, Sutton, Kendall, Landry, or Baylor.
Saylor or Winslet
So many cool suggestions!
Just another name to throw out there is Paxton.
Landis, Hadley, Eisley, Ellery, Gracen
Emerson, Lennox and
Spruce
Prentice
Cypress
Mythra
Myles
Winslow
Crane
Baird
Foster
Gates
Sterling
Waverly or Yarrow
A lot of great suggestions, I won’t relist any of them. I just wanted to add Darcy to the list.
Dittoing Morgan.
Also, since Emerson and Lennox are both names of colleges, I’m dittoing Colby.
Whitley?
Sloan and Hollis were two that immediately came to mind! Both already suggested.
Wanted to add a name from my personal list – Beckett!
Or Maddyn/Madden!?
I just came across the name Mallory which made me think of your post Emerson, Lennox and Mallory. I also think Tatum is a great suggestion.
Also love Bodhi for a little girl!
So many great choices! I was just coming back to ask you please to update. I’m so interested to see what you’ll pick.
I don’t have anything new to add, but from above I love Hollis, Darcy, and Temple. I less like the names with n at the end for you because I think it matches Emerson more than Lennox and I want your third name to have its own unique sound.
A name I thought of but didn’t see anyone else mention is Tenley.
I’m going to second Quinn (I saw it up there somewhere…). I have a Quinn Alice and we get compliments all the time! I truly love her name and she most definitely “fits it” as well. She was almost an Avery but that is almost laughable now. She is for sure a Quinn through and through! Good luck! I found naming a girl so much more difficult than naming my son so props to you for coming up with two fantastic names already and searching for a third.
Great lists! 2 surname-ish ones we considered: Perrin and Arden. But I was hooked more on feminine-sounding surnames (which ended up harder than I imagined) and we settled on Maris. Maren might be more you style.
Hi everyone! OP here, thanks for all the feedback – we are 27 weeks in and still haven’t decided! Here are some names we are considering! I’d love any suggestions of names similar to the ones we are considering as well as possible middle names.
Names we are considering but need middle names:
Abbott
Murray
Rory
Tate
Beckett
Names we like but can’t use:
Elliott
Greer
Monroe
Parker
I would love feedback on them from you all :)
I really like Beckett Rory and Abbott.
Beckett Ann
Beckett Lorraine
Beckett Catherine
Rory Belle
Rory Collette
Rory Isabelle
Abbott Louise
Abbott Opal
Abbott Brielle
My personal favorite would be between Beckett Lorraine and Abbott Brielle.
Similar to Abbott: Alcott (avoid Louisa / May for middles!)
Beckett makes me think of Everett. Also of Britten (as in Benjamin) – might sound too much like Britain, though.
I like the idea of a middle name starting with I since your first two have A and E, respectively:
Abbott Isobel
Murray Imelda
Rory Imogen
Tate Iolanthe
Beckett Indira
Alcott Isadora
Britten Ivana
Everett Isla
Best of luck!
I like the idea of an “I” middle name per Edie but am having trouble making coming up with a bunch of I names that read purely feminine and familiar to balance out the first name.
Abbott Isabelle
Abbott Isabela
Abbott Ivy
Abbott Iris
Murray Katherine
Murray Elizabeth
Murray Linnea
Murray Juliette
Tate Leliana
Tate Annabelle
Tate Leah
Tate Rosalie
Rory Beth
Rory Madeline
Rory Isabela
Rory Gabrielle
Rory Genevieve
Rory Jillian
Rory Isla
Beckett Alice
Beckett Kate
Beckett Iris
Beckett Isabela
Abbott + Rory = Ambrose?
Ambrose Isadora
Ambrose Grace
Ambrose Mae
Ambrose Juliette
Ambrose Yvaine
Ambrose Babette??? Not sure where that one came from. Babs!
Just wanted to drop by and update! Our rainbow baby girl was born on 12/6/17 and we hadn’t decided on a name before her birth! We ended up going with something that was not on our shortlist because it just fit her! It was a name we both said no to before but when I saw her I just knew it was the one!
Briar Caroline is now 1 month old and has brought our family so much joy!