We are considering buying a new house and I am finding it so distracting. I am sitting here trying to pick a letter to answer but instead I am thinking only about various house-related things.
Here is what I thought we might try. What if today we did MINI posts in the comments section? That is, anyone who has a name-related question they can ask rather briefly (asking for a vote among a few names, or asking one question, or asking for feedback on how people perceive a particular name, or asking if two names go together—that sort of thing, but not a complicated multi-layered situation that requires eight paragraphs and is looking for answers to lots of different questions) can post it in the comments section, and then interested commenters can cruise the comments section and answer any of them they want to? I wonder if that would be fun, or if it would be messy and overwhelming? LET’S FIND OUT. I think it would be especially charming if question-askers ended up making the rounds answering each other’s questions!
Everyone is generally so good about this I don’t know if I even need to remind—but I remind MYSELF of this pretty regularly, so I will go ahead and remind you as well that the goal is helpfulness and kindness and working with what the questioner is looking for: that is, it is not about what WE PERSONALLY prefer (unless of course that is what we are being asked) but about finding the right name for the preferences of the parents asking the question.
I was recently searching Pinterest for unique baby names and the name Emryn (a name I had not seen or heard before) kept coming up. I came back to your page and searched the name Emryn to see if it was a made up name or what and was surprised at how many times you, Swistle, or others suggested the name in the past! What the general consensus on this name- do people like it or dislike it and do you see it becoming a popular name in the near future?
I like it but prefer Emerson. With both, I think the popularity of Em- names in general might cause we to lean toward other loved names.
I dislike it, it seems very made up to me and I think will get confused with more popular em names. However the Em beginning will make it fit in amongst peers named Emerson, Emma, Emily, Emmett, Emery, etc. But no I don’t think Emryn itself will become popular. For me it’s the worst of both worlds: super common Em nickname may be inevitable but still confusion regarding the full name. Some people would see it as the best of both worlds: super uncommon name that’s unlikely to be encountered elsewhere with easily accessible nickname Em. So what matters is how you see it.
You know, this one has come up a few times in my circles. Theoretically, it has a lot going for it–it’s got sounds that are pleasing and currently popular, and it’s similar to but less common than Emerson.
I don’t believe it’s actually more “made up” than any other name, in the sense that it has English or Welsh origins (I think). But I believe that it suggests that the parents’ INTENT was to use a name that was a made-up variation on more popular names like Emerson, and that they accidentally did so by choosing a name that already exists.
Though I’m not sure why I don’t like it, I wonder if I’m associating it with trade names like Enron (hello, 2000!) and Camry. For sure, -ryn and -rin names are well-loved for boys and girls. Aaron, Erin, Camreon/Camryn, Bryn (one of my favorite dream names).
I think it feels slightly modular, you know, like a new mix of very pleasing individual units
Em: Emma Emily
and
Rin: see above
and for me, that gives it a sort of Newly Minted feel. That can be exciting! Sometimes it comes with a very specific time stamp, too, like the -en names.
:) Cheers!
I don’t like it because it sounds made up. I do like Emory (my son’s name), Emily, Emma, and Emmett. I don’t love Emerson since I think the -son names are kind of weird for girls even though they are ubiquitous, and I think Emerson is currently too much of girl name to use for a boy.
Emryn is not my style at all, but think it will be popular. It has the accessible Em nickname (like Emerson, Emily, Emma), it’s non-frilly but feminine (like Harper), and it is outside the top 500 but due to the other points isn’t “weird.” It could be considered a squish name to honor a couple of people (like mom Emily and grandma Evelyn).
I like Emryn much more than most other Em- names.
I am 34 weeks pregnant and we still don’t have a girl’s name! Our short list is Cora, Margaret nn Molly, and Hazel (family name- great grandmother) with potential middle names Leann (mine), Mae (family middle name on his and my sides) or Elise (we just like it/it’s sort of a combo of his and my mom’s middles Lee and Denise). Any favorite combinations/votes of preference?
I love all 3 of your first name options. I love Margaret, I love Molly. However, I don’t think Molly’s a very natural nickname for Margaret. Therefore I think I like Cora or Hazel better. In fact Cora Hazel would be beautiful since Hazel is a family name. Cora Mae would be my 2nd choice.
I’m a big fan of the name of Hazel because I also had a great-grandmother named Hazel and wish I could have used her name but my husband is into the more trendy-unique names, not the timeless classics. I like Cora Hazel or Hazel Leann. You really do have some great combos that you can’t go wrong with any of them! I even like Molly as a name by itself versus a nickname.
Margaret Elise is lovely. I also like Margaret Mae, Molly Mae. You have a lot of great combinations to consider!
Margaret Elise is perfect!
Cora Elise or Margaret Elise get my vote. You could get the nn Mae or Maesie from Margaret to honor the Maes in both families.
Hazel. I love Hazel. Hazel Mae or Hazel Leann are my favorites.
One of my dearest friends is Molly Mae!
Margaret Mae/nn Molly Mae or just straight Molly Mae…swoon!
I like Margaret Elise. That’s actually a brilliant way to honor Lee and Denise!
Cora Leann
I love Margaret Elise!
I don’t think you can go wrong, but my favorite is Cora Mae.
I have a 10.5 month old Cora. Runner-up name was Marguerite, so… pretty similar! No complaints here re Cora (whose middle name starts with May and therefore gets called Cora-May a lot—also Coco, ALL the time).
You can’t go wrong! My favorite combos are Margaret Mae, Hazel Leann, and Cora Elise.
Margaret is one of my favorite names, especially because there are so many nickname options. If she wants to go by something else (or several different nicknames!) as she gets older, she can.
All great names! I like Cora Mae, Margaret Elise & Hazel Leann. I think my favorite is Margaret Elise nn Molly!
Cora is my favorite of your choices. I really like Cora Mae. My second choice would be Hazel Leann.
Any name suggestions (boy or girl) to go with our daughters’ names (D3lia and Ros3)? I’m coming up blank for a third. Everything seems used or doesn’t sound right to my ears. I like “fits in, stands out” names. Last name is Italian, three syllables, starts with F and ends in -o.
Cora actually sounds lovely with your daughters’ names, inspired by previous poster! I also like June, Cecily, Daphne, Mabel, Alice. For boys, maybe Henry, Edward, or Felix.
Lucy for a girl! Classic Gabriel for a boy or Arthur!
Margot, Bianca, Nadia, Vivian, Eve, Sylvie, Edith, Beatrice, and Juliet all come to mind!
Nadia <3 Love!!!
With D3lia and Ros3, I like:
Sister- Claire, Alice, Iris, Juliet
Brother – Jasper, Pierce, Glenn, Sage
June popped up in my head for a girl. D3lia, R0se, and June.
For a boy, maybe Charles?
Delia, Ross and
Carina
Camille
Gemma
Margot
Laurel
Annabel
OR
Charles/Charlie
Grant
Enzo
Leo
August/Gus
Trevor
James
Oliver
Ah, how I wished to used D3lia and Ros3 for my 3rd child…. (who is now a lovely little boy). If it helps, also on our list were:
Girl: Eve, Esther, Anouk, Noemie
Boy: Adrien, Samuel, Alexander
What about June?
D3lia, Ros3, & June
There’s Junia, too, if that suits you better.
How about Estelle?
D3lia, Ros3, & Estelle
Then there’s Carys.
D3lia, Ros3, & Carys
Finally, have you considered the lovely Gemma?
D3lia, Ros3, & Gemma
For a mini mister:
Martin
Winston
Jasper
Vaughn
Bennett
Best wishes!
Ohh! Gemma! Love!
Some random ideas
Matthew, David, Aaron
Lucinda, Isabelle, Zoe
(I just like the way those names go with your daughters’.)
Joy, Nora
Lucia (the Italian pronounciation is LooCHIah I’m told) gives you a name like Lucy (fits in) but different, and sounds nice with the sisters.
For a sister of D3lia and Ros3, I would want to pick a name that fits the floral theme, but doesn’t smack you over the head with it. Lily or Violet would be too much. Iris is borderline for me. I like Viola (I don’t think everyone would immediately connect it to Violet.) I like Camila and Astrid.
To widen the theme to a more nature-inspired, i like Maris, Muriel, Neve, and Laurel.
For a boy, I love Brooks as an honor name to you. You could also use any name that nods toward a water association to honor you – Dylan, Kai, Wade.
I love Laurel for a girl. I think you could do any classic boy’s name.
Fiona, Georgia, Hattie, Jane, Pearl or Rita
We are less than 2 weeks away from baby #3’s birth and we can’t decide on her name. Big brothers are H3nry and Ge0rge. We’ve been considering Lila, Rosalie, Jane, Mary, and Lucy. We have a few middle name options, but will pick based on the first name. We both like the name Charlotte (it’s probably my husband’s favorite), but aren’t sure how much “oh like the royal family!” comments we would get (my guess is many many comments, my husband thinks no one will notice lol). If we went with Charlotte, we’d likely call her Charlie (a name that was on the table for both boys).
I’m interested in hearing thoughts about our choices, and open to more options as well!
I think Charlotte is lovely and classic. You may get a few comments, but the thrill of the announcement of Princess Charlotte’s birth has largely passed. Since you like Rosalie and Mary, I was thinking Rosemary or Rosemarie is another option. And Lily feels very in tune with Henry and George but is similar to Lila.
These are such lovely options! You have great taste. I don’t think many will comment about Charlotte and the royals . Media is so dispersed now, and there is so much competition from reality stars etc, that I don’t think people know the royal children’s names the way they did when Harry and William were kids (and their mother was such a point of interest).
Jane!
If I’m recalling correctly though- weren’t the Jetsons’ (the 80s cartoon) named George and Jane Jetson or am I wrong?
Other suggestions: Pearl, Lula
I think Charlotte is nice and all together, it is very royal-family, but, really, who cares? They’re all solid lovely names with little to no chance for misspelling or mispronunciation, and they sound nice together.
That being said, I LOVE the name Rosalie. Would you consider Charlotte as a middle name to Rosalie? It’s a lot of letters, but really sounds pretty. She could always go by Charlotte/Charlie if it seems more fitting.
I kind of love Jane and Mary because they’ve fallen out of use, but they’re so snappy and easy to spell and their English vibe goes really well with Henry and George. For me, they pass the pilot/supreme court justice/doctor test, too!
Almost 2 years later I’m scouring the archives, looking for positive spins on none other than Jane and Mary, as they are on the short list for our daughter joining brothers William and Edward. Your comment is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I think I feel the same way, but seeing someone else’s similar opinion is so reassuring!! Thanks!
I like all your options so I am just looking for reasons to eliminate some options.
I would rule out Charlotte because of the royal family connection but it is up to you whether your love for the name outweighs those l frequent royal family comments. The young prince and princess are likely to be in the news for some time to come. Trust me, people will notice. However, if this is the name you both love most, go for it.
I would eliminate Mary and Lucy because they have the same rhythm and ending sound as Henry. I would also eliminate Jane for having the same beginning sound as George. That leaves Lila and Rosalie. Personally I prefer Lila, both alone and with her brothers names.
I think Mary and Lucy would work really well with Henry and George. I also think Lydia, Annabel, Margot, Daphne or Elizabeth would be superb. Or Margaret, nn Maisie.
Charlotte is very pretty although I think Lottie is a better nn choice for your sibset.
As a mom of a toddler Charlotte who was named since the royal Charlotte was born, my experience is very few royal- related comments. Almost none. Most people know of the princess, but it was a legit name long before her and so stands well on its own, it’s not really obscure enough for people to need to mentally connect it to anyone but the child in question. For what it’s worth, we have more people associate it with Charlotte’s Web then the princess 😅
I think if you both love Charlotte, then you should go for it! For what it’s worth, having the nickname Charlie I think will decrease the number of comments about the royal family. But it’s up to you! With your other options, I love Rosalie best, but you really can’t go wrong!
I vote Rosalie! The set Henry, George and Charlotte instantly bring to mind the royals; that would make me pause, but I suppose everyone has a different threshold for how much that would bother them (if it even would).
Princess Mary and Frederik got married when I was pregnant (I’m Australian so it was a BIG deal) and I got scared off the name Mary. (I had a boy)
Then Wills and Kate got married during another pregnancy and I got scared off Phillipa (Pippa) because of her sister (Another boy anyhow)
Now some years on I think I would be kicking myself if I hadn’t used these names for these reasons. Neither Pippa nor Mary are automatically linked to the royal family. At the time there is a big association and lots of media but then … it just stops and the world moves on and you still have your little Charlotte and the link to royalty will probably be a plus not a minus.
From you list though I LOVE Mary. My absolute favourite girls name by far. But Charlotte is perfectly usable, not too frilly but feminine, classic, fun nicknames (Lottie!) it does tick all the boxes.
I’d go with Lucy Charlotte. Henry, George, and Lucy sounds more generically British than Royal. Henry, George, and Rosalie is pretty cool, too.
Love Lila with Henry and George!
Rosalie
Mary Jane! That’s my vote.
Re: Charlotte I think it would come up, just have to weigh how annoying you’d find it.
I love all your choices. Jane and Mary are my favorite. As a Mary in my 30s, it is rare to find someone my age with my name. It would be happily unexpected for a child to have that name. Personally, I wouldn’t choose Charlotte for the royalty factor and popularity.
I’m another Mary in her 30s!
I love both Jane and Rosalie. I would tend to steer away from Charlotte because of the royal family–I don’t think they are going anywhere anytime soon so this will be a persistent association.
My vote is for Lucy or Rosalie. Jane is beautiful, but I don’t love George and Jane together.
I don’t think Charlotte on it’s own would be a problem because it has been popular since before the princess. However with a big brother named George, it gets a little more complicated. At least your other guy isn’t name Lewis. But that would probably make me shy away from Charlotte even though it is one of my favorite names. What about Caroline nn Cari or Sarah? George, Henry and Sarah? George, Henry and Caroline?
So funny, those are our top 3 names for children eventually. :) I think if people even notice George and Charlotte the connection is a charming one and it will just be left at that. I have nieces (siblings) whose names share a connection like that and it’s not a big deal; again, if anything, it’s just a fun little observation.
Jane! Love it and it sounds great this George & Henry.
I have a Rosalie and a George. I love my daughters name, love the sweet nickname Rosie, love that it is uncommon but recognizable and spellable. 6 years in it give me great pleasure.
If I had another Mary would be a top contender, either as a double name (As an example Mary Jane, Mary Rose) or with the nn Molly.
I would love to hear thoughts on how a Very Heritage choice sits with a Very Mainstream sibling in a set. Specifically, our daughter is named Alice. We’re not expecting nor trying at the moment but someday I hope she gets a sibling. The name we always come back to, that was our only other name seriously in the running for her, is Branwen. We’re primarily British and Irish and Welsh, so it fits in that way, but I’m wondering how it goes with Alice, which is so non-ethnic? On the one hand, I’m the queen of suggesting “Don’t worry about siblings matching!!1!” when I comment, but here I am dwelling on it. My first choice for a second daughter would be one of the Rose names, but my husband isn’t keen. Our boy name is an open question. I also love Brigid, which presents some of the same issues. We also worry with Branwen about it being confused for Brandon all the time (someone named Branwen mentioned this happens. Alice is misheard as Alex all the time, and I find it actually bothers me, so I’m keeping it in mind).
Ha! I have just commented about wanting a sibling name for our son, Leif. Funny thing is, our first child is a girl, and her name is classic granny chic/ nature name, think something like “Violet” or “Daisy.” I love Leif’s name because it is the right choice and honours my Dad, but honestly there have been times where I thought, why didn’t I just name him Ralph? I have dealt with this by deciding I have different tastes when naming boys versus girls, or perhaps I like classics but just have a different point of view as to what a “classic” is; in other words, Leif to me is a classic, grandpa name because it actually IS a classic, grandpa name in Sweden, where my Dad is from. So I think you just figure out what really matters to you and feel the name out as it goes. So hard. Good luck! I think Rose names are gorgeous, for the record, and Rose Branwen is a beautiful name. Also, Bridget is quite classic and may tie in with Alice better (Brigid is pronounced like “breeed” in Ireland which I do not like due to the association with this word).
Alice strikes me as a rather British name, so I don’t think it would be an issue. I think you would likely have issues with mis-hearing either Branwen or Brigid, as they are not too common. If you love it, I think you should use it! I hope you get the chance!
I think Branwen may be misheard as Bronwyn. How bothersome that is depends on how you feel about it. My daughter’s name is mispronounced about 20% of the time (two variants) and it doesn’t bother me at all/she doesn’t seem to have ever noticed. My best friend says it would make her crazy.
I think siblings need to have a similar level of gravity but other wise it doesn’t matter. HOWEVER, I actually think Bridgid is a good match for Alice. I see it as quite pan-European due to the Saint and it is a heritage choice IMO. It will be miss-spelt due to the many options but I don’t think that’s a deal breaker (and happens with most names now due to creative spelling, my son has a top 10 one variation name and people still ask how to spell it).
What about Briar? Comes from a similar welsh/Irish heritage and has some similar sounds but without the worry of it being too different from alice! Both are also 5 letters :). Briar also connects to your love of rose (sleeping beauty) — could be a cute nickname for you to call your daughter!
I think Alice and Branwen are nice together. Alice has a sort of British vibe to me so even though it doesn’t feel as “ethnic” they work together. I think if Branwen was more popular it wouldn’t even be a question, it’s more the unfamiliarity that makes it stand out.
Anyone have any suggestions for a brother name for Leif? Hoping to have another baby and coming up blank for boy’s names. Does Tor sound good? Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Leland, Tobias, Abbott, Arlo
What about Torin? It feels a little bit more grounded than Tor and goes really well with Leif.
Other ideas: Kai, Magnus, Linus, Aksel/Axel, and Erik.
Thanks guys! Liking these.
Thoughts on Bjorn? Nils? Aksel versus Axel? Thanks!
I know a Leif who named his son Axel. His sister is Erika. My father’s name was Erik and his dather’s Was Axel. All this to say: yes to Axel, and think about Erik!
Amazing! Thanks. I do love Axel and Erik.
I think you might get a few chuckles when you say “these are my sons, Leif and Erik” due to the well-known Norse explorer Leif Erikson.
I’m a fan of Anders as a brother for Leif.
Do you like another L name? Lewis is great with Leif.
Or Ian, or Brynn?
Tor is a great name and fits well.
Baby name wizard says that Kjell is a common sib name for Leif!
Not “common” in a perjorative way, let’s say “harmonious!”
Ooooh cool name. I had not heard it before!
Tor is nice. I also like Bjorn, but Nils is my personal favorite. These are all names of relatives and friends, though, so I may be used to them. Other suggestions:
Lars
Anders
Tobin/Tobias
Erik
Gunnar
Jonas
Gunnar, be still my heart!
Roan
Rhett
Kjell (chell) pronouciation would be tricky
Karl
Soren
Thanks for the suggestions love all of these they are great :)
I like Tor with Leif. Erik is another name that I really like with Leif.
If you wanted to use a nature name, Sage is nice option.
I think the sibset Leif and Erik would immediately make people think of Leif Erikson. I like the suggestion of Anders.
I worked with an Anders. It’s a very versatile but user friendly name (eg spelled phonetically). Would recommend.
Unless you specifically want to do ethnically Swedish names I would play up the nature relationship. River, Ash, Brooks, Colt, Forest
Tor is associated with the dark web, a program used to conduct criminal activities online anonymously. For me, I’d have a hard time hearing this on a baby and not being mildly put off by an association with kiddie porn. I may be an outlier, given the generally positive reaction to the name on this site.
For a brother to Leif, I’d use Magnus.
I’ve recently come across the name Torben and I think that it sounds great with Leif (and has a very cool meaning).
I have a daughter named Lark, and we are starting to try for a second baby. Is Wren too much on theme for a sister? We’re planning on stopping after two. (I would also consider Corbin for a boy…apparently bird names are my thing.)
I love Wren. Lark and Wren are definitely a theme, but the sounds are so different, I think it works!
If you’re definitely stopping at two, then I love Lark and Wren together–the theme is very obvious, but doesn’t seem problematic. The whole thing seems very clean and perfectly, actually.
If you decide that Wren is too on-the-nose as a sister name, then another nature name (a flower or a tree–Rose, Willow, etc.) would be a sweet alternative.
I think these are too close in meaning. I like the idea of another nature name with Lark, but not another bird name. Instead of Wren, what about Brynn or Greer?
Wren! YES!
If you become too self-conscious, here are a few other ideas:
Linnet
Aviary
Mavis
Jacana
Lovely idea. :)
Oh, I love Linnet. Adding that to the list now!
Wren, Lark, and Corbin would definitely be a theme, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Just embrace it if you like it!
Since it’s only two, I say go for it!
I think Wren is fine with Lark. They sound different and the theme isn’t much of a problem if you are stopping at two.
I love both Lark and Wren. I say, embrace the theme names. (I am biased–my girls are Bliss and Grace, and it’s been fine–fun, actually.)
I love Wren and Lark! Both names were on our list for both of our girls. It is a theme, but a pretty cute one. I say unless you are not a theme-y person, go for it!
I have a daughter nicknamed Lark (for Ilaria), and we are expecting a baby who, if a girl, will be nicknamed Wren (Catherine) :) So I’m biased, but I think it’s wonderful.
Themes are only bad if they bother you. Use a name that you and your partner love.
Please choose Wren. It is #1 on my sad could not use list (I only had boys!)
I don’t see a problem with having a theme if they are names you love. Think of how many sisters out there that are named Lily & Rose or Lily & Violet. I love both Wren and Lark and I say go for it!
Wren is lovely if you don’t mind the occasional random person making bird comments. A more subtle theme might be happiness:
Lark and Blythe
Lark and Felicity
Lark and Joy
Lark and Bliss
I love the themed sibset of Lark and Wren! (And possibly Corbin.)
It is a simple theme like flower or virtue names yet with a slightly unique twist. Most people don’t bat an eye when they meet sisters Lily, Rose, and Violet or Hope and Grace. I know a pair of sisters named Daffodil and Hazel. Often the reaction is: “Oh, how pretty!” Lark and Wren together is pretty and fresh.
Looking for reactions to sibling set Norah (2.5 year old) and Louisa (future girl baby) – our boy name is Louis, an honor name. We will stop at 2 kids, so no consideration about future kids in the sib set.
Also is Louisa too close to Lucy? (Best friends and next door neighbors’ daughter that is the same age as our Norah). I’m on the far side of not caring about “stealing names” but wanted a wider opinion. I’ll of course ask them when/if the time comes, but interested to hear opinions.
Love it and no Louisa is not too close. Sure Lu might be your go to nickname, but so is Wheezy (which I love). And Lucy might love having a little slant namesake. We have two Henrys the same age on our block and they are friends and everyone loves it.
Nah, I don’t think it’s too close at all. If my friends named their next child Gary when I have a Kerry, it wouldn’t even register except when someone has to reprimand a kid from across the room. They have similar sounds, but very different roots.
I love Louisa!! It’s was my #1 name for our daughter, but I got vetoed. Such an underused beautiful vintage classic. I don’t think it’s too close to Lucy. I really hope you use it!
Norah and Louisa are beautiful together! Louisa and Lucy will not be in the same grade, so I would not worry about the neighbor’s name.
I love Norah and Louisa together. No, I do not think Louisa is too close to Lucy. And even if it was, using it as an honor name gives you a free pass.
Louisa and Lucy are definitely not too close for names for neighborhood playmates. That’s like Jen and Jess in the 80s, but waaaaaasyyyyyyy less of a common occurrence. Plus it is a family name! Zero issues.
Haha! I love your reference. My sisters are Jennifer and Jessica! The only thing people notice is that we are all J-names.
I agree with what has been said. I love Norah and Louisa together. And since it is an honor name (Louisa for a girl or Louis for a boy), I say go with it. :)
Norah and Louisa are beautiful together. I don’t think it’s too close to Lucy either, the begin sounds are of course repeated but the endings are different enough. If you were consider Lucille or Lucia then maybe? But Louisa is perfect.
Thoughts on sibset: Juliet, Eliza, and Lucy?
We’re due next week and need third party confirmation that Lucy is the right choice
I love your sibset!
Lucy is a great classical choice! Wishing you a healthy delivery and baby!
A name I have suggested a couple of times but can’t very often because it’s a unique name that would only work well with certain sibsets and it would yours- FABLE! Last year I heard a woman call her daughter by that name and I was pleasantly surprised/intrigued/taken with the name as it’s not a name I would have ever considered.
Or what about Lucie? Somehow it feels a little more balanced to me to say Juliet, Eliza and Lucie, but I honestly don’t mean that as a strong statement. Lucy or Lucie are both beautiful and go well with your sibset.
How about Lydia?
Juliet, Eliza, & Lydia
Liddy is very close to Lucy, but Lydia carries the same dignity as Juliet and Eliza.
Best wishes!
Yes!
Lucille would feel more finished with the others. Do you use nicknames for your first two?
Yes, it is the right choice!
Yes, it’s really good! I like how the names match in feel but have very different sounds.
Perfect set! I love Juliet , Eliza and Lucy.
Love this combo -Juliet, Eliza, and Lucy!!
Love this combo -Juliet, Eliza, and Lucy. I’m guessing you’re concerned Lucy is too common. If that’s the case, I also like these:
Lorna
Alice
Lavinia
Lena
Perfect in my opinion!
I’m 36 weeks with baby #6, boy #5 and not settled on a name. Our other kids are John Paul, Simon, Magdalen (nn. Maggie), Mark and Damian. Our last name is Dunl@p. The names on our short list are Benedict and Lawrence (with and Gerard and Philip as possibilities too but I don’t think they’re great with our last name). I’m not really sold on any of those. Feedback and brainstorm suggestions please!
I like both but Benedict and Gerard in that order. What about Francis or Augustine (Gus), Leland, or I have Magdalene on my short list for my baby #6 too. Do you have any girl names suggestions (saint names only)?
I have a Kolbe….and really like Phoebe…are they too close? Keep in mind that there are 4 other siblings in the set with very different names.
I like your short list names- you don’t hear them anymore!
Other suggestions: Garrett, have you considered Noah, Gideon, Levi, Titus as I’m sensing a biblical theme?
Hi Mary! Congratulations on sweet six! Your style kind of struck me as “British/Catholic” I wonder if some of these might strike a chord: Alexander, Leo, Sebastian, Maximilian, Christian, or Timothy. I also wondered if you might like the spelling “Laurence” as it’s a saint name (if I correctly guessed the Catholic part, that is). Maybe Caleb or Nicholas, Bernard or Samuel. Watkin or Watson maybe? I’ve probably gone in too many wrong directions but those are just my ideas :)
Do you like Julian?
John Paul, Simon, Maggie, Mark, Damian, & Julian
Or perhaps Jarvis?
Martin is classic.
Best wishes!
Have you had a look at sanctanomina? They have some great saint’s name suggestions over there.
Francis
Xavier
Clement
I really like Lawrence and it is quite unexpected but not in any way odd. Time for a comeback I say! I also know a little Clarence (Clarry) but I’m not sure of a saintly connection.
Not the OP, but thank you thank you for the link to Sancta nomina! I’d never heard of it before and I’m so glad to hear about it now!
I really like the names you’ve chosen for your existing kids and the names on your list. I love Philip but agree that it probably doesn’t go well with your last name. I like Sebastian and Leo. Dominic is nice, but I’m not sure if it is too close to Damian. Peter would be lovely.
I second the suggestion to check out Sancta Nomina for Catholic names.
Definitely check out the Sancta Nomina blog.
Gregory, Thomas, or Grant?
Benedict is my favorite! I think Francis or Maxwell might fit too.
Love Benedict, what about Fredrick?
Baby boy, brother to Isla June Off-stune (spelling how it sounds), is coming late December. We basically have it narrowed down to:
Lachlan Leon
or
Gunnar Leon
I am leaning towards Lachlan, but my husband is leaning towards Gunnar.
Thoughts?!?
Lachlan is a fave of mine but husband doesn’t like it so I’m voting for this one! I have a nephew named Gunner so can’t go wrong with that one either!
I like Gunnar better with Leon as a middle name–Lachlan Leon is a tongue-twister for me.
I like Lachlan better. Gunnar seems overly macho to me.
Agreed.
I love Lachlan! I think that it works very well with Isla, both in style and in sounds.
I prefer Lachlan.
I much prefer Lachlan with Isla. Very nice set.
I prefer Lachlan. I’m guessing you want to honor a Leon, but have you considered using Lachlan Gunnar?
Yeah – husbands grandfather, so I think he’d rather keep that than swap him his preference of Gunnar.
I prefer Lachlan in style with Isla, but would be aware about a potentially unintended Lake/Island theme. If it doesn’t bother you, then I would go with Lachlan, if it does, Gunnar.
Since Isla is a Scottish name, I like the idea of her brother having a name from that region too. I’m also kinda loving when the name relates to water in a way because Chelsie (my name) and Isla both do as well.
Lachlan is so lovely with Isla!
I’m not currently pregnant, but we are planning another one, all being well. We have two girls and a boy currently who are J@sper, Audrey and M@rgot.
If the girls had been boys they would have been Reuben and Tobias, respectively. Future girls names, though, have left us totally stumped. Can anyone offer some suggestions of what would fit in our style? If we even have a style and not just a random collection of favourite names.
I love those names!
Suggestions for another girl:
Lydia
Thea
Ruth
Rosemary
Violet
Vera
Jillian
Brenna, Camille, Charlotte, Clara
Simone or Giselle! Keep the French theme going!
Tessa
Rosalie
Adele
Matilda
Audrey and Margot were on our girls name list. We also liked Eliza, but went with Norah.
Your kids’ names are great! If you’re looking to put a label on your style, I think it’s something like classic/friendly/approachable/moderately popular. I’d look for names with another unique name-ending (you already have -er, -ee, and -o sounds).
How about: Caroline, Eleanor, Eliza, Gemma, Jillian, Laurel, Lillian
Or Lucy, Phoebe (repeat the -ee ending)
For a sister to J@sper, Audrey and M@rgot (Rueben and Tobias), I’d suggest:
Edith
Sylvie
Ramona
Matilda
Eloise
Vera
Jasper, Audrey and Margot are lovely together. Maybe…
Nina
Talia
Jane
Vera
Olive
Juliet
Catherine
Eloise
I am really like the above suggestions of Vera or Simone. Both flow well with your daughters’ names and are just unique enough to complete the sibset perfectly. Two syllables, familiar but not too common, not repeating first or last sounds. I feel that match your style.
Jasper, Audrey, Margot and Vera.
Jasper, Audrey, Margot and Simone.
We are due next month with twin girls and are completely stuck on one of their names. We know for sure one will be named Helena Marie. Any suggestions for our second name? Baby girl #2 middle name will be Aldina.
My name choices for twin girls (because I’m a name nerd, not used on my own children, because I didn’t have twins) was Helena and Selene.
Sara Aldina
Portia? Pauline? Phoebe? Beverly? Noemie? Daria? Daphne? Felicity?
Camille, Vivian, Celeste, Isla, Norah, Fiona, Winslet, Jillian
Estelle! Estelle Aldina
Helena & Estelle
Daphne Aldina
Helena & Daphne
Phoebe Aldina
Helena & Phoebe
Diana Aldina
Helena & Diana
Best wishes! Elegant taste you have!
Helena and Julissa
Helena and Brielle
Helena was on my short list for kid #2, who turned out to be a boy. Another girls name on my list was Francesca.
How about Naomi Aldina, Frances Aldina, Gwendolyn Aldina, or Grace Aldina.
What about Simone?
Helena and…
Vera
Sylvie
Frances
Dorothy or Dorothea
Vivienne
Favorite Nicknames for Margaret
We are currently expecting #2, but my husband is not ready to talk names. We aren’t finding out, but we have a daughter Eleanor who goes by Nora.
Greta!
Pearl. :)
Meg!
I love Daisy as a nn for Margaret. I also read (I think in the swistle nickname post) Mars and Grits…both of which I thought were super cute!
Meg or Peggy for traditional
Rita for a stretch!
I know of 2 Margarets with nicknames Rita and Margo. These are really cute in my opinion!
OP here. Thanks for all of these ideas. I also love Greta, but not sure if it’s too much of a stretch. Apparently I like it when the formal name and nickname have different first letters.
Also – any thoughts on Isaac Charles or Charles Lloyd if it’s a boy? Both middle options are family names.
I really love Charles Lloyd with Eleanor. :)
I like both names equally except I don’t like the I.C. initials. I think Isaac Lloyd would work though too.
I love Maggie as a nickname for Margaret, it’s on my “sad I can’t use” list.
Greta or Daisy
Due in less than 3 weeks. We’ve been calling her June all along but I’m suddenly worried it’s too trendy? I see it suggested on Swistle’s site alll the time. Runner up is Caroline, which has always been my “firstborn daughter” name but my husband has a bad association with it. Middle name will almost certainly be K311y which is a family name. Warm my cold feet…
June is a lovely name, and you could call her J.K. like the author :) Or not, if you don’t like Harry Potter.
From looking at the SSA data, Caroline is currently more popular and has been popular for longer than June. Right now June is ranked in the 200s, which I personally think is about perfect. It’s familiar enough that people aren’t surprised by it, but you’re not likely to be running into tons of other kids with the same name.
I love June! I do not think it is too trendy. I have not personally heard of any babies named June.
June is great! I think you’ll have fun with all of the fun little baby names you could call her. “June Pie”, “June Bug”, “Junie Bear”,
Yes, Junebug is what made us fall in love with the name! Thanks!
We have a Juniper who we call June. It wears SO well, and we very rarely run into other Junes. It feels classic and strong, but still fresh and a little unexpected.
Caroline is a beautiful name, but doesn’t have the same spunky, fresh feel.
June is not trendy. You are experiencing the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, otherwise known as frequency illusion. Now that you have locked onto a name, you notice it everywhere. Go with June.
I like June, it sounds nice with K3lly. My cousin recently had a daughter and she names her K3lly Jane. Jane is a nice alternative to June too. But I think June is great and don’t find it trendy- it is a classic with many “older” connections such as June Cleaver.
We are due with baby boy in October who will be a brother to our daughter Elinor (Nora) Kate. My husband’s favourite name is Isaac Joseph and my favorite is Jude Frederick. We can’t seem to reach an agreement. Anyone got a preference or other suggestions?
Personally, I’m with your husband, simply because I like Itzak Perlman more than Jude Lennon.
Lennon’s son wasn’t named Jude – despite the song. His name was Julian. Apparently the song was originally “Hey Jules,” but Jude was easier to sing.
Ah, I thought it wasn’t quite right. Thank you
Both are great names. If you want to do something, maybe try out both? Call the baby Jude for a week and then Isaac for a week and see if one feels more right? My preferred name sorting method though was time (assuming the baby isn’t due very soon). Just wait and see if a name preference seems to rise or fall with time. For this to work both of you have to really consider both names and not make it about getting “your name.” Either name would be a good choice. Neither is objectively better than the other.
Isaac Jude? Frederick Joseph? (I love Frederick.) Jude Joseph called JJ, or Isaac Frederick. Jude Isaac has quite the ring to it.
I prefer Isaac over Jude, Frederick over Joseph. My suggestion would be to put Isaac, Joseph, Jude, and Frederick on index cards or post it notes on your fridge and shuffle them around to see if you have found the best combo yet.
Jude Frederick!
Would either of you consider Jude Isaac? Or maybe Ian would be an option if you are looking for something different. Ian Frederick or Ian Jude?
Due soon with our third baby girl, but we can’t decide on a name! Our daughters are Audrey and Eloise (we also call her Ellie). We are thinking about: Lucy (is it too similar to Eloise?), Colette (worried it will be misspelled or mispronounced), Maya, or Beatrice (I love but not sure I can talk my husband into it). Any other suggestions, or favorites from these names?!
I think Lucy would be absolutely fine! Audrey, Eloise and Lucy. Audrey, Ellie and Lucy. Perfect! (I also suggested the French spelling of Lucie above, but that looks a little closer to Eloise, maybe? Audrey, Eloise and Lucie. No, maybe it does work, too!)
I think Colette is a wonderful name – not sure how it could be mispronounced? Spelling might mean asking if it’s one L or 2, but then again I have a name that is frequently misspelled and it’s fine.
As for other names, what about Georgia, Gabrielle, Celeste?
I love your daughters’ names. Audrey and Eloise are such a nice pair. I think of the names you are thinking about, I would choose Colette or Beatrice. I would probably avoid Lucy as then all girls would have a y/ie ending. Audrey, Ellie, Lucy. If you like that, then go for it!
With Audrey and Eloise, I adore Colette! I don’t see how it could be mispronounced. Eloise seems more likely to have pronunciation issues.
I’m also a big fan of Beatrice and it’s on my list for imaginary daughters names. I still prefer Colette with your daughters’ names. I’m a sucker for the nicknames Bea and Betty though.
Lucy is definitely too close to Eloise.
Maya? This seems like an outlier name for you. It does not have the same charm as the others on your list. For me, Maya moves the needle on Audrey and Eloise towards trendy instead of classic French-inspired.
I think Eloise and Lucy could become a tongue twister. I think Colette is great and familiar/straight forward enough that people would get the pronounciation and spelling most of the time (I don’t think it’s any harder to spell/pronounce than Eloise). Beatrice is great too. Maya seems a little more current than your other choices.
I vote Colette or Beatrice!
Isaac Frederick is my preference.
Nora & Ike? Adorable!
We have baby #3 on the way. Boy #1 is Callum and Girl #2 is Lark. This one is a surprise. We have a girl name picked out, but cannot seem to agree on a boy name. Boy names we’ve thrown out there are Ash, Teague, Reed, and Stone. We are hoping to use Paul (my father’s name) or Bryant (my maiden name) as a middle name if it’s a boy. Our last name is Donovan. Any thoughts on our current contenders or other names we haven’t thought of?
I really like Teague here but from your list it’s the only one that doesn’t continue the nature theme.
Have you thought about another bird name? Drake? Corbin? Gavin? Jay?
I also thought of Sidney, Dean, Presley, Booker, or Creed for you.
We have a Lark too, so maybe some of our boy list will suit you?
Brooks
Wells
Graham
Declan
Griffin
Linden
Tycho
Maddox
Good luck!
What about Blaise, Heath, Ronan, Slate, Drake or Miles?
From your list of Ash, Teague, Reed, and Stone, I’d immediately remove Teague. It doesn’t have a nature theme. Also it can be considered derogatory.
Ash seems a little too gender neutral when paired with Callum and Lark. Asher or Ashton seem better to me. It improves the flow with the middle names options. Asher Bryant and Ashton Paul. Nice.
Callum and Stone is a jarring sib set to me. A peaceful dove image next to rough rock. I dunno; I just don’t love it.
Reed Bryant is nice. I actually may prefer the flow of Bryant Reed. I love when sons are named after their mothers.
Have you considered Jonah? Is that just too much bird and specifically dove, imagery? Callum and Jonah. I love it.
Would you consider Perry short for Peregrine? There’s that falcon imagery. The sound of grin and wren may be too close, but just Perry may be just right.
I also like Linden, Cedar, and Moss.
So Callum, Lark and:
Linden Bryant
Moss Paul
Jonah Bryant
Bryant Moss
Bryant Reed
Ashton Paul
Cedar Bryant
Oh, also I prefer Micah to Stone
Please use Teague! Teague Bryant. I absolutely love the name but haven’t been able to sell my husband on it. Callum, Lark and Teague are fabulous together. I also like Reed and Ash. Reed Bryant.
We are due in December with baby girl core-in (starts with K). We have a 16mo son Alfred Cooper, honor name for my husbands grandfather.
We are between two girl names: Georgia v Louise, regardless she will have her dads middle name Parker (preppy, handmedown from her dad). Is there a name I’m missing or will one of these do ? I don’t love any girl name but want serviceable/classic/match with Alfred who we nickname Freddy. Any thoughts/opinions
Love Georgia! Also like Georgette as another option.
I prefer Georgia with brother Freddy
I prefer Georgia!
Georgette has the fun nickname of Jet!
I slightly prefer Georgia with Parker, but Louise is a beautiful and underused classic.
Love them both!!!
Georgie and Freddy are adorable.
I like Georgia and Louise with brother Alfred.
Georgia Parker and Louise Parker also both work nicely.
I think I slightly prefer Georgia with your surname. Georgina would also be nice.
I have 3 boys: Gabriel (Gabe), Charles (Charlie) and Maxwell (Max). If we have a 4th boy, I am STUCK. Any ideas? We have a formal name/nickname theme going on. I like nicknames that can be used on adults and children alike so for example I’m not a huge fan of Thomas because Tommy would probably be the kid nickname but by middle school it would probably morph into Tom. My favorite name right now is Leo but I don’t like the longer options and my cousin named hers Leo. I like that it has 2 syllables like Charlie. Help!
Theodore
You get two-syllable Theo out of the deal.
There’s also Teddy, Ted, or Thor for nicknames.
Best wishes!
Nicholas (Nick or Nico)
Previous commenter nailed it with Theodore nn Theo I think!
But just in case…
Eliott nn Eli?
William nn Liam?
Rudger nn Rudy?
Percival nn Percy?
Gregory nn Rory?
Gideon nn Ian?
I also think Theodore with the nickname Theo is a good alternative to Leo.
Other ideas:
Andrew (Andy or Drew)
Elijah (Eli)
Oliver (Ollie)
Peter (Pete)
Cyrus (Cy)
Nathaniel or Nathan (Nate)
Jacob (Jake)
Timothy (Timmy/Tim)
Ezekiel (Zeke)
Zachary (Zack)
Robert!
Frederick nn Fred or Freddy
Victor nn Vic
Walter n Walt
We are expecting our third child, a girl. We already have a Teddy and a Zoe Jane (double barrel first name). We’re considering Fiona Mara (first and middle). Do you think this makes a good sib-set? Other suggestions? Thank you! :)
I really like Fiona. It’s own and with Teddy and Zoe Jane. Each name is disti ctive but they work together.
Fiona is a sweet name individually and in the sib set!
Love the name Fiona. That is what I named my daughter and everyone loves her name.
Fiona is a great fit! Leona is also nice with the set or Lola.
I’m due with baby #3 soon. For a girl, we’re considering Beatrix. I like its quirky, vintage-but-modern vibe—but is it Too Much? Siblings are Freya and Ned.
I know another little Beatrix (18 months) old. It definitely isn’t too much on her. I also like Beatrix as a sister name to Freya.
I really like Beatrix with your other children’s names. I do not think it is too much. You can shorten it to Bea which I love.
Love Love Love Beatrix
Def not too much. Freya, Ned, and Beatrix is perfect!! I love the nicknames Bea and Bix for you.
Beatrix is absolutely perfect with Freya and Ned.
I think Beatrix goes well with Freya and Ned. And it’s a great name.
I’m not pregnant at this point, but I often think what I would name another girl… my first two daughters are Bliss and Grace. I think I’d want a virtue-name adjacent name that matches in meaning but is more subtle than the other two, like Vera or Serena, or maybe a nature/word name like May or Spring. I’m trying to avoid a mismatched name since the older two have such a theme going but at the same time dilute the virtue name theme slightly. Any other ideas?
With Bliss and Grace, I rather like Sage which is both a nature and virtue name. Claire is another nice option. I also like Iris as an option with your girls names.
Sophie for wisdom! Or Rose, for a nature name.
I think going in the broader “word name” direction would probably work best. I do love the more matchy Verity though. Word names I like with your other girls’ names are Eden, Lark, Magnolia, Fern, Story, Meadow, Saffron and Rose.
Ooh I think Eden is perfect with the sisters’ names!
Amity,
Blythe
Clemency
Verity
Carys
Daisy
Dusk
Autumn
Summer
Skye
Isla
Gioia
Pax
What about something a bit mythological?
Iris
Hera/Juno
Rhea
Phoebe
Clio
Xanthe
Selene
I think matching Bliss is the trick. I would ignore a match with Grace first (which meets multiple criteria/categories IMO) and focus on a match with Bliss first and then that is likely to also go well with Grace (as they are both one syllable with a dominant S sound and word names).
My favourites for your sib set are Dusk, Iris, Carys and Skye I think because of the S sound
Truce? One syllable, shared S sound with Bliss and Grace, kinda virtue-y, kinda not. I don’t really know if this is an actual name or not but I can’t see why it wouldn’t/couldn’t be. Not sure if this is a bit try-hard for this sib set but I dig it!
Or Merit, Anthem, Ever, Gloria, Sterling, Marvel, Victoria, Haven, Harbor, Season, March…
You are thinking of Bliss and Grace as virtue names and want to dilute the theme, so you get stuck in this loop that leads you to names like
Merrit
Merry
Sage
Gloria
Vera
Mercy
Constance
I wonder if you shift to thinking about Bliss and Grace as Noun Names, you’ll immediately open open the aperture a bit:
Dawn
Vesper
Pearl
Aria
Lily
Paisley
Genesis
Eve
Ruby
Eden
Destiny
From the suggestions made above, I really like Sage and Eve best because of the single syllable. They both match when spoken aloud together but deviate slightly from the overt virtue theme.
Bliss, Grace, and Sage.
Bliss, Grace, and Eve.
A nature name might be a good option: Ash, Rose, Fleur, Pearl, Fern, Jade.
Or perhaps a classic name will round out the sibset nicely. Ann, June, Jess, Shay, Tess, Lynn, Ruth, Nell
Expecting our 5th girl in January. All of our girls’ name start with the letter J. This baby girl will be Jessamine. We haven’t decided on a middle name yet. I love Ruby! My husband loves Iris. Our other girls are Jada Nichole, Juliana Elise, Jocelyn Rose and Jael Isabela. Our last name is a Spanish name that starts with a hard “C” sound and ends in with a n. Suggestions?
Swoooooon for Jessamine! We are no longer in our family-growing phase, but the last time pregnancy was a possibility, I was thinking HARD about honoring myself with a little Jessamine. My name is Jessemy Dawn, which is very mid-seventies and not as harmonious with Jessamine anyway. Just wanted to express my EXTREME EXCITEMENT at this prospect!
Jessamine Iris is all-floral and gorgeous
Jessamine Ruby is also great, though.
Does your surname have more than one syllable? Because if it’s monosyllabic, I think the rhythm of 3-2-1 syllables is a strong one. Mine is 3-1-2: Jessemy Dawn Neiger.
Yaaaaaay!
I love both options: Jessamine Ruby and Jessamine Iris. Jessamine Iris flows off my tongue just slightly easier than Jessamine Ruby, but not enough to push it into a “choose this one” feeling. Whichever one you choose will be lovely!
Jada, Julianna, Jocelyn, Jael, and Jessamine… very pretty! My sisters and I are all Js as well so I am a bit partial when siblings’ names all begin with the same letter. (My sisters and I are Jennifer, Jacquelyn, and Jessica).
We love the idea of naming a next daughter Magdalena (an honor name.) But we’d need a nickname, and I’ve never been a fan of Maggie. I like Lena (LAY – na), but if we spelled it Lena most people who say LEE-na, right? And spelling it Layna short for Magdalena seems a little contrived… Ideas?
Magda. Or “Lena, short for Magdalena” so the pronunciation is clear.
Magdalena could have so many nicknames! Maggie, yes, but also, Daleny, Magda, Laney, Dali, and Lena (I don’t this spelling would be any worse having the clarify the pronunciation of a name like Madeline).
My best friend’s daughter is Lena, pronounced LAY-na, as a stand-alone name. I think it is perhaps the Scandinavian pronunciation? In any case, I don’t think it has caused that much grief.
I don’t see why you couldn’t spell the nn “Layna” even if it is short for Magdalena. Does anyone think Tom or Tommy is contrived as a nickname for Thomas? Or what about Bill or Billy for William and Bob for Robert? Is Libby as a nn for Elizabeth contrived?
Go with what you love and spell her nickname the way that works best for you.
Good point. Also Jacob nn Jake (like my husband!) is not a direct spelling derivative!
Having baby #3 in November – a girl! Brothers are Robert Wylie (goes by full name) and William Walker who goes by Walker. Hubby loves Loretta, which is my great grandmother’s name, but I’m not sold – feels old to me and like we are raising country western stars (we are not!) – any good nicknames besides Laurie? My great grandmother went by Lottie when she was younger but that also feels old to me! My favorite name would be Mary but can’t use it, and I like Rose but my hubby doesn’t. I also like Cecilia, nn Cece. We are Catholic so love a good Saintly connection, but not necessary (and yes, I’ve been all over Sancta Nomina!)
Cecilia with nn Cece is a nice choice but I am not sure if your husband likes it.
I think Etta is a great nickname for Loretta. Lottie is becoming more common these days as I have heard as a nn for a few Charlotte’s that I know. It may feel fresher to your kids generation. What about Lola as a nickname for Loretta? You could use something like Layne or Lacy as a middle name to get there if you like.
Loretta is a great choice. Such lovely nicknames! Retta, ettie, lori
Since Gilmore Girls’ Lorelei, I think any of the Lor- names can use Rory as a nn. I agree though that Loretta with Walker and Robert Wylie definitely does make this sib set sound like a country clan.
Miriam is a nice Mary alternative and Biblical…nn Ria, Mimi, Mira…
I’m not very familiar with Catholic Saints but I threw Charlotte into a google search and came up with a Blessed Sister Charlotte of the Ressurection…not sure if this is the same as a Saint but since Great-Gramma went by Lottie, Charlotte could be a way to honour her and gives you loads of other nn: Carly, Harlo, etc etc etc.
If it’s not just an attraction to “honoring Grandmother” for your husband and he does like the sound of Loretta too maybe he’ll go for another name that shares the same sound like Florence. Even better maybe are Marietta or Rosetta as a compromise “smoosh” between both your fav names Loretta and Mary/Rose.
Oh! I just thought of Josette! Now my fav option for you since it’s a feminization of Joseph, Jesus’ earth dad, tributes grandma Loretta with the -ette ending, and has the adorable non-country star sounding nn Josie.
Our solution to not loving Rose or Mary alone was to name our daughter Rosemary and it’s soooo perfect. Some other names on my list: Vivian, Cecily, Cordelia, Emilia, Helena.
The first thing that came to mind is Rosetta. Or Rosemary. Laurel?
We were also honoring a Loretta and considered Loren and Laure, in case those do anything for you.
I knew of a Magdelena called Magdo! It’s a bit strange, but how fun for a spunky little girl?! Personally, I love Magdalena and would go with Lena (Lee-nuh), or you could call her by her middle name if you don’t like Maggie. (I also knew a Margaret Anne who went by M.A., which was adorable!)
We are 2 weeks from my scheduled section and still do lot have a name for our baby girl. My husband has only said two names that he likes, Madeline and Addison. I hate the nickname Maddy and Addy is only marginally better. I would like either Rose or Jade for a middle name. My #1 choice is Emerson for a first name with the nickname Emmy. Our other kids are Rhiannon Alyssa, Dylan Matthew, and Katelin Grace. Our last name is Yunt (rhymes with Hunt).
I have given him a list of 30 names that I like, but he doesn’t seem to like any of them! Anyone have any great ideas that are similar to his preferred names? I originally wanted it to end with a “n” to match the other kids, but I don’t even care about that at this point!
Adalyn
Avalon
Emmalyn
Ellison
Aniston
Emerie
Adelaide
Almost all of these were on my list! We decided on Carolyn Rose.
Of course, Magdalene springs to mind with the nickname Maggie. Other options:
Avalon (Avie)
Abigail (Abby)
Edison (Edie)
Evelyn (Evie)
Holland (Holly)
If I had my back against wall on picking Madeline or Addison, I would select Addison and use the the nn Daisy.
It sounds like the issue may be with your husband. If Madeline and Addison are out, then he needs to accept this and decide what are his favorite names out of what is left and NOT to be rejecting everything because he is comparing them to Madeline and Addison. Thirty names sounds like a good list. You could ask him to rank those names in tiers from 1-5 or whatever range you want and then even if there aren’t any “top tier” names, go with the highest tier of names and work from there.
He finally said he liked Carolyn. I prefer Caroline, but it breaks the ending we have going, so I picked Carolyn over Madeline or Addison.
I’m glad y’all were able to decide on a name!
Ellie or Delia could be nn for Madeline if you are forced to go that route.
I agree it would be a shame to lose the ends-in-n streak unless it was for a name you looovved.
How about:
Jocelyn
Cameron
Tamsin
Eden
Marin
Peyton
Evelyn
Teagan
Breaking the ends-in-n streak:
Caroline
Adria
Ameria
Emmeline
We finally decided today to go with Carolyn Rose. He tried to change the middle name, but I wanted Rose since the beginning. I figure since he made me wait this long, I’m using the middle name I want!
He suggested Ann, Millicent, or Genevieve for the middle name. Those are our grandmother’s names. He left out one of mine, Maude.
Carolyn Rose is a beautiful name! I’m so glad you were able to come to a compromise AND preserve the n-ending, AND get a middle name that sings to you!
Thanks for updating us! Congratulations!
I’m pregnant with a girl, and I’m pretty set on Margo(t). I’m having trouble with the spelling however. We both vastly prefer Margo, but Margot is the ‘correct’ version. I’m considering naming her Margret, with the nickname Margo so it’s not official. However, my first daughter is Nora, not Eleanor, so it doesn’t really match. Maybe I’m overthinking it with my pregnancy brain. Can someone just tell me it’s okay to spell it Margo? lol
Spell it how you want!!
Love it by the way. My daughter is Nora (Eleanor) and I’m also thinking about Margaret for #2 but maybe going by Greta?
Love Margaret/Greta!
I had this exact same debate when naming my daughter!!! I wanted “Margo” but didn’t want people to think I misspelled Margot. I even debated Margaux. I think it’s fine to spell it Margo. I do like Margo as a nickname for Margaret too.
My mom spells it “Margo.” :) I prefer it that way, and if I had a girl, it’s the spelling I would have used. xo
I prefer Margo over Margot. Just like I prefer Sara over Sarah and Hanna over Hannah. I never understood the point of silent letters. (BTW, I also prefer Tomas over Thomas.)
Use Margo! My first encounter with any version of this name was in the early 90s, when I read every single Babysitters Club book (then) in existence–there was a character named Margo, spelled that way. It’s totally legitimate, especially among English-speakers.
Hey, I’ve never commented here but this is exactly the right format for a question I’ve been mulling! It is neither pressing nor substantial enough to have written to Swistle about.
What middle name would you use with Ruth? I feel like one-syllable first names are a challenge to match. Last name would be a two-syllable one that roughly rhymes with “Maven.” For that reason, long-A sounds are challenging, but might be okay in the middle. So for instance, we had to veto the names Maeve, David, Nathan, etc, at least as first names.
We tend to like classic names, or at least ones that are not very invented-this-decade. Any ideas for a future Ruth’s middle name???
Marie
Nicole
Noelle
Danielle
Laurel
I think i would go with 3+ syllable middle name.
Ruth Caroline Maven
Ruth Juliet Maven
Ruth Beatrix Maven
Ruth Romilly Maven
Ruth Verity Maven
I love the name Ruth! I think I would prefer a 3+ syllable middle name in this case.
Ruth Eleanor
Ruth Margaret
Ruth Olivia
Ruth Isabel
Ruth Rosemary (kinda loving the alliteration)
Ruth Penelope
Yup, a 1 syllable first name and a 2 syllable last name is a perfect opportunity to go long with the middle name. I think long names are unused as middle names anyway.
Examples:
Josephine
Anastasia
Briony
Clementine
Magnolia
Genevieve
Magdalena
Amalia
Susanna
Elaina
underused, not unused
The best option is a two-syllable name, emphasis on the second one, like:
Marie
Camille
Celeste
Noelle
Leanne
Corinne
Colette
Denise
Cecile
Louise
Maureen
Suzanne
My littlest is Ruth! We too have to two-syllable last name, and we went with Ruth Elise. Elise is an honour name, but I also liked that it sounded old-fashioned. :) I also like the romantic 3-syllable names that others have suggested, like Clementine and Josephine. I like Valentina too.
Ruth Daisy
Ruth Louisa
Ruth Beatrice
Ruth Felicity
Ruth Sunday
Ruth Eloise
Ruth Ivy
Ruth Susannah
Ruth Olivia
My grandmother was Ruth Madeline. She had two different last names, both two syllables, during her life, and her name always sounded regal.
We have a daughter named Josephine Jean. The default nickname is Josie but we occasionally toss out Posey. (This name honors my husband’s father, husband’s mother, and my mother)
If we have a son, we’ll name him Edward with a default nickname of Teddy and occasionally use Bear. Edward honors my father.
For daughter number #2, we are torn between Beatrice Louise and Magdalena Edith. Which one do you prefer? Also, we’re very likely going to have another biological child and adopt a child. Does that make a difference?
For Beatrice, we’d likely default to the nickname Bea but we’d certainly use Betty Lou on occasion as that was my grandmother’s given name.
For Magdalena, we’d likely default to the nickname Lena and use Magda on occasion. We just love the name Magdalena and Edith honors my other grandma.
I prefer Beatrice Louise. Betty Lou is adorable and I think it sounds great with Josie.
With Josephine, I prefer Magdalena over Beatrice. I also like Josie and Lena more then Josie and Bea. However, I much prefer Betty Lou over Magda or Lena.
I think Beatrice Louise called Betty Lou is so perfect!
I have a Josephine and love Beatrice with it.
Love Beatrice Louise! Bea is a fine nickname, but I love Betty Lou!!
I have an infant son named F1tzpatr1ck nn F1tz. We aren’t currently pregnant or trying but I’m now obsessed with searching for sibling names. My husband and I both have Irish names, so I would like any future children to have Irish names too. I would love some suggestions. In my mind right now are Sullivan, Vaughn or Mac(k) for boys and Saoirse or Larkin for girls. Is choosing another surname too much?
I love the name Sullivan. I think it’s perfect with Fitzpatrick.
With Fitzpatrick xx I like Sullivan and Saoirise the best. I think it is fine to use another surname name.
How about Cormac nn Mac?
LOVE Sullivan with Fitzpatrick! Fitz and Sully. YES!
We’re expecting a little girl in November.
Big brother is Quinn, which is a family name. I wanted to use some sort of family name for this baby, but we’re deadlocked— Isabel Catherine, Elizabeth Shea, Reese Elizabeth, or Elaina Jane.
I like Reese, but my husband likes Isabel. I’m worried she’d get Isabella/Bella/Belle, none of which I like.
So many baby girl -bel sounds! Biased but Elizabeth wears really well in every possible life situation ;) and Reese Elizabeth has a little bit of everything.
With a sibling set of Quinn and Reese I’d struggle to remember which one was the boy’s name and which the girl’s. That’s fine if you are going for Androgynous, but I wanted to point it out.
Cecily or Cecilia? I prefer one, my husband prefers the other.
We juuuuust found out we’re pregnant (#4) and I can’t stop thinking about names! And I really want a girl! My others are Gunn@r, James, and Rosemary. Other names I like: Arwen, Vivian, Eleanor, Emilia, Helena The only name my husband is pushing for is Cordelia which I am “meh” about, with Arwen as his second.
Cecilia! Although I love both I just think Rosemary & Cecilia are beautiful for sisters.
Definitely Cecilia!
I LOVE Cecilia and Rosemary together. Second choice from you list is Vivian.
I am the odd one out, but I actually prefer Cecily over Cecilia.
It think it is the ending… “ilia” …that is harder for me to say so I always feel it comes out sounding strange. Cecily, on the other hand, flows right off my tongue and sounds so fresh, pretty, vaguely familiar but also unique.
So we just had a serious talk last night about if we are going to have a third and the agreement was a very positive yes that we both did want one more. So now of course I am already thinking about names! We already have Ezra Wolf & Finn August. Which of these names would you pick?
Jude Everest
Max Wilder
Reid Caspian (this is the only one on the boy list I haven’t talked to my husband about yet)
Jane Birdie (Jane to honor both our moms)
Leona Maisie
Elowen Story (haven’t talked to DH about this one yet)
Jane has been our girl name for awhile but then I always question if it really is the one?
-bonus: would love to hear what name you would pick (not one on my list) as a sibling to Ezra & Finn?
I love all your name choices and definitely wouldn’t go looking for any others, each and every one of your choices is amazing.
From your choices I would use Jude Everest or Jane Birdie 😍😍😍
thank you so much for the kind words!!
With Ezra and Finn, I really like Max and Jane. Leona Jane is a nice option.
Not relying on your lists, I would probably go with one of the following:
Arlo, Drew, Miles or Iris, Grace, Carly.
Love Arlo but it doesn’t work with our surname (two syllables and ends in -o). Miles and Iris are great.
We just had that talk too!
LOVE Jude Everest from your list!! It’s the perfect fit with your other 2! Ezra, Finn and Jude.
For girls, Jane does seem a bit different that your other choices. What about Cora?
thank you! Cora is sweet <3
Such a whimsical set! Of your list Max Wilder is my fave but is it TOO where the wild things are? Maybe Magnus Wilder? What I really love is using Caspian in the front spot with Wilder – Caspian Wilder!
Jane Birdie is done and adorable! Slam dunk.
Thanks for the love on Jane Birdie. Ah, I never thought of “Where the Wild Things Are” but that’s a good point. I love Caspian but I don’t think my husband would go for it. I never consider Magnus but I think I do like it… will have to talk to husband about that one!
Expecting a baby brother for Iris and George. Current list is:
Archie
Walter (Walt)
Hugh
Gus (have always liked this name…but not sure with sibs?)
Oscar
Rex (husband dislikes)
Plus too many others that fall on and off daily.
Help! Like? Dislike? Any I’m missing?;)
My favorites with the sibling names are Hugh and Oscar. I like Gus but not with George and Iris.
I’m not a fan of Gus in this sibset.
My favorites from your list are Hugh and Walt (in that order).
What about Theo?
Love your sibset! Brother should definitely be Hugh. Just the right side of dusty and nickname-free. I also love Oscar so much, so that’s my second choice, but I think Hugh is miles better.
I’m having trouble naming a third daughter, with my first two being Av@ and K@ra, and short middle names: A Rose and K Grace. K is pronounced Care-uh, not Carr-ah. I really like Lena (pronounced Layna) Joy, but I’m not 100%. Our last name can be subbed with McCrack, so I’d prefer no M names. And I like the -a ending, but it’s not a necessity. Any suggestions??
With Av@ and K@ra, I like:
Ella Joy
Diana Joy
Nola Joy
Fiona Joy
Lily
Elaina
Sadie
Delia
Hannah
Elise
Lilah
Emma
Delta Jane
Ezra, Finn, and Delta
Daphne Jane
Ezra, Finn, and Daphne
Gemma Jane
Ezra, Finn, and Gemma (E,F,G!)
Jemima Lenore
Ezra, Finn, and Jemima
We just had “the” talk about adding a third, which we both were hesitant to admit that we were feeling ‘definitely yes”. So, YAY!
Now I can’t stop thinking about what we”’ name #3.
Older siblings are Miles David and Anne Avis (sometimes called Annie).
For a boy we are fairly set on Graham, but also have Isaac and Ian on the list. But Middle name is wide open.
For a girl, my favorite name (Claire) is out :( Hubby’s cousin-raise-almost-as-a-sister just had a baby Clara, and they ARE the kind to “claim” a name and get very upset if someone close were to use it something something similar. So , now I’m coming up blank. I like short, classic girl names.
So what sister name would you suggest for Miles and Anne? What middle name for Graham?
Sister names:
Ivy
Wren
Mary
Camille
Maeve
Brynn
Hope
Tess/Tessa
Lily
Olive
Esme
Pearl
Thea
Willa
Middle names I like to use are names that aren’t quite right as first names (for us), but I still love. Does that bring any names to mind for you?
With sister Anne I love Grace or Jane.
Graham Isaac sounds perfect to me.
Due in 6 weeks with our first baby – a boy! We have had Wells picked out for years and I’m getting cold feet. The name would be in honor of husband’s friend who passed away. 1. is it weird to name after a deceased friend/peer instead of older relative (I mostly think of honor names as grandparent names – is it giving the kid too much to live up to if it’s a peer?) 2. Do you think this name is rising too quickly?
Our other agreed upon option is Rooney – which do you like better, Wells or Rooney? Rooney would give baby my same initials, which I love.
lastly, since I kept my last name, we are thinking of adding it as baby’s second middle. I know Swistle’s POV on this, but anyone else have experience with double middles? I love the idea of keeping my last name in baby’s name somewhere, but is this a major paperwork hassle? We travel a lot – does everything have to match exactly for travel? My other fear that I will regret not being able to monogram things – LOL seems minor, but I love monograms!
My girls have two middles. Sometimes the second middle gets dropped on paperwork. Both are definitely there on their passports. I love that their second middles are meaningful.
As for Wells and Rooney. I hear people talking about Wells a lot, but haven’t met one yet. I say use it! Honor names are whatever you want them to be, there’s no rule it has to be an older relative. I think it’s sweet. (Rooney would be a perfect sister name one day…)
Our kids have four-initial monograms. Not quite the same look as three initials, but they have a LOT of personalized stuff and four initials looks great on a tote bag. No problems with records, schools, travel (they’ve traveled widely) etc; two last names (the permutation my kiddos have) is normal now.
Might you consider two last names instead of two middles? Middles are regularly dropped. Lasts are not. Your name is an awesome legacy and with hubs’ last and an honor name for his friend as the first, we have to get you in there, mama!
I think both Wells and Rooney are uncommon names so you won’t have to worry about your child being the third or fourth “Wells” or “Rooney” in a class. (Not like the Jennifers and Jessicas born in the 80s… my sisters’ names.)
I have two middle names and have not had a problem. Every once in a while, certain paperwork only has a place for a single middle initial. In those incidents, I just use the initial of the first of my middle names. Sometimes I don’t use my middle initials at all. But when I am able to, I prefer to use the initials of both middle names and it works out fine.
Hi!! I need help with a sister name for Br!elle Al!ce and F!ona Rose.
I want it to start and end differently than theirs do so they all have a unique sound and 2 aren’tmore similar than the other I call them “Bree and Fee” so I would love a name that could have a matching nickname!
I really like Vivian (Bree, Fee and Vee), but my husband has a bad name association with it, so it’s def out.
We both like Paisley. Altho “Pee” idk if I like that nickname lol, also is it too cutesy?
My husband likes Amelia, I don’t like that it is “a” ending like F!ona, makes Br!Elle sound like the odd name out of the sibset to me, am I right or no?
The middle name will most likely be James or Grace, something Irish-y would be nice to go with the other 2 names, but it’s not a deal breaker as they aren’t super traditional Irish names, our last name is Mull!n.
Oh S and M are out for first initials too (ours).
Need ideas, thank you so much!!!
So many girl names end in -a that you’re going to rule out a lot good options if you completely avoid that ending. To avoid matching Fiona too much, I’d instead try to avoid -na endings. You also may want to let go of the perfectly matching nicknames as it be hard to find a name that you love that is very different in the full name and the nickname be almost the same.
But trying to do both…
Vera – Vee
Viola or Violette – Vee
Mila – Mee
Deidre – Dee
Rhia – Ree
Irina – Ree
Tia – Tee
Zinnia – Zee
Eleanor could be Ellie, which gives -ee sound at the end.
Georgia or any other G- name could be just G for short and the same with D or C or V or T or Z names.
Paisley could be ‘Lee’.
Or how about:
Neve ‘Neevee’
Deirdre ‘Deedee’
Tierney ‘teeny’ (love that!)
You have some tough requirements, but your daughters’ names are so beautiful! I’ve thought really hard to find some names that feel right with Brielle and Fiona. Let’s see if any of these names tickle your ear:
Everly Grace (nn: Vee) Brielle, Fiona, Everly… Bree, Fee, and Vee
Ainsley James (nn: Lee) Brielle, Fiona, Ainsley… Bree, Fee, and Lee
Valerie Grace (nn: Lee) Brielle, Fiona, Valerie… Bree, Fee, and Vee
Verity James (nn: Vee) Brielle, Fiona, Verity… Bree, Fee, and Vee
Or, if you just do not like the “a” ending of Amelia but you are ok with a similar name:
Amelie Grace (nn: Lee) Brielle, Fiona, Amelie… Bree, Fee, and Lee
Emilie Grace (nn: Lee) Brielle, Fiona, Emilie… Bree, Fee, and Lee
For some reason, I really like Verity James.
Hi – I’m due in 10 weeks with our second, a boy – older sister is Hannah Jane. Our last name is Harlow, we’re Rebecca and Jacob, go by Becca & Jake. We’re looking for something that “feels” like all of our names do to us: definitely a name you’re familiar with, fairly classic, but not extremely heavily used (Jacob was not as common 37 years ago as it is today). Common is just fine, preferred even, but I’d like to stay out of the top 25 or so, if possible. We also feel, for reasons unknown, that this baby’s name starts with a W. Totally not a hard and fast rule at all and are open to other non-W names…it’s just a feeling. We use honor names for middle names and this one will be Richard. It’s not a name I would ever pick, but it’s my husband’s late father’s name and non-negotiable as Jane was in honor of an aunt for me.
So far we’re feeling closest to Wesley as the name, to be called Wes. I like it just fine, but I’m not IN LOVE. To be fair, I was also this way with Hannah’s name and now I can’t imagine having used any of the alternate choices (Caroline, Adeline, Cameron, Leah, Juliet, Claire for reference).
Other names we have considered for Mr. Baby are:
William nn Will (obviously very common, but I still like it)
Wyatt (I like it but not especially any more than Wesley)
Zachary (husband’s brother’s name, so that’s a lot of family honoring for me)
Hunter (not sure I want the H-H sibling set, especially with an H last name)
Grant (husband doesn’t love)
Theodore (I like the nn Theo but is very rhyme-y with last name)
Please come at me with your suggestions or reassurances that Wesley is the one! Thanks so much!!!
Wesley is great!
Wesley and Hannah sound nice.
Other options:
Wells and Hannah (too out there?)
Walker and Hannah
Warner and Hannah
Flynn and Hannah
Finn and Hannah
Max and Hannah
Hello! We’ve started trying for baby #2. My first daughter’s name is Hazel Jane. We’re seriously considering Genevieve Brynn if we have another girl. Are Hazel and Genevieve too different?
I don’t think so, they sound perfect to me!
Wearable, go-to nickname.for Amedeo? It’s a family name we’re planning to use for a boy.
Thanks!
We are having baby #3 in a few months, a girl! We have a son (Drake) and daughter (Gemma) and are having a hard time coming up with “the one”. Are last name is Ruth and middle name will likely be Nicole (my middle name). Our short list is Henley and Camryn. Henley would be “the one” but I don’t like the nn “Hen”. Other names I like but were rejected by my husband are: Adley, Lynden, Weslyn, Ellery, and Kambri. We would love your suggestions for this sib set. We feel like we haven’t heard “the one” yet! Thank you in advance.
How about Kellyn? Or Hadley?
A few others: Maren (or Maryn), Tatum, Lauryn, Raven, Willa, Emery, Evynn, Kalan, or Haven.
Congratulations!!