Hi there,
We’re due in June with a girl – our second! We’re naming her Celeste and planning to call her Cece.
We’ve been thinking to give her the middle name of Julia after my great-grandmother. Recently, another family member passed away who I would also like to honor. His name was Abraham. Are there any girl names that combine J and A? Julianne is not an option because of a cousin named Giuliana. Our daughter’s last name is one-syllable, rhyming with Milk.
Thank you!
If Julianne would meet the requirement but Julia does not, then I take it we are looking for a name not just containing a J and an A (since Julia already contains a J and an A), but instead a name that has a J name and an A name combined, the way Julia + Anne = Julianne. You could make a whole bunch of combinations playing around with the A section and the J section of a baby name book:
Adajane
Adajean
Annajane
Annajean
Annajulia
Avajane
Avajean
Avajune
Joanna
Josianna
Joyanna
Judianna
Juliabelle
Junabelle
I don’t know, some of those look messy. This is not really in my skill set; perhaps some commenters can come up with better options. I was hoping to find more that ended in -abel(le), in case that brought the name Abraham to mind, but kept running into trouble (Jeanabelle is pretty if you know it’s Jean + abelle, but otherwise looks messy, and also like it might be Jee-anabelle); and a fair number of J____abel combinations bring Jezebel to mind.
Are you sure Julianne is out? If the cousin Giuliana is a bad association, or if the extended family is particularly possessive about names, I can see not using it. But as long as the association isn’t unpleasant, it doesn’t seem confusing or problematic to use a quite-different variation of a cousin’s name as a middle name.
I also want to ask if you are sure you want to try to get two honor names into one middle name. To you, does a name such as Julianne or Avajean feel like it honors your great-grandmother and also a family member named Abraham? Other options include: because of the timing, choosing to honor just Abraham instead (were you close with your great-grandmother?); or, if you are hoping to have more children, saving one of the two honor names for a future child; or, changing plans entirely and using both the first and middle names as honor names.
If you do want to honor both people this time, and you want to use only the middle name slot to do it, my own preference would be to instead make it a double middle name. I like Celeste Julia Abigail or Celeste Julia Gabrielle: Abigail/Gabrielle capture at least a little of the sound of Abraham. I’m also seeing some name options I don’t know if I would suggest or not: Abreanna, Abriel/Abrielle, Abra, Abria.
Name update:
We welcomed our little girl on May 12! After much back and forth (Ava? Alden? Juliette? Jane?!) we settled on Celeste Julia and absolutely love her name! She came a few weeks early, but we’re all home safe and sound thanks to wonderful doctors and nurses who cared for her during amidst this pandemic.
Celeste Johanna was our second choice for our youngest. I think it sounds lovely together. And it offers the nickname CJ.
As Swistle suggested, the simplest thing to do seems to be setting the J aside, unless you also recently lost your great-grandmother, and perhaps just using the A of the recent loss.
If not, I love the double middle name option! Understanding that you can’t use Julianne anyway, I will say that to me, that doesn’t feel like a J+A name; it feels like a J name. Anna Julia, or something like it, would feel like both initials were being spotlighted.
Abie comes up as both a girl anf boy version of Abraham. Celeste Abie or Celeste Julia-Abie?
I like the suggestion of Celeste Johanna too!
This sounds like a great compromise. You could also add in the J of Julia like this: Celeste Abie-Jaye Milk or Celeste Abby Jay Milk. I think it has quite a nice rhythm.
Julie-Anne may feel enough different from Giuliana to work? And then the J and A are both capitalized…
I know a Jean-Anne. Anna-Jane or Anna Jane sounds wonderful. Celeste Anna Jane. Celeste Anna Juliet. Celeste Julia Anne.
I obviously don’t know the specifics of your family dynamics, but I wouldn’t think that a middle name “Julianne” would be an issue with a cousin whose first name is “Giulianna.” The only issue would be if you were planning to call her by her first AND middle name most of the time. I think that Celeste Julianne is really pretty, too. (My middle name is Ann, I have a daughter whose middle name is Ann, a MIL whose name is Anna, and a cousin named Annie, so maybe I’m just immune to the repetition.)
That said, maybe Celeste JoAnn(-a/e)– if you capitalize the “A” it might make the tribute a little clearer.
I don’t know how hooked you are on Celeste, but what if you picked a similarly star-themed first name that begins with an A?
Astra (or Astrid, which has a different meaning but could have Astra as a nickname)
Andromeda
Aquila (often a boys name but rare enough and with the -a ending that it could work for a girl)
Auriga
there are other star names that begin with an A as well.
Then you could use any J middle name you like. I like June for her birth month, or Jane, with the fancier first name, or maybe Jade. You lose CeCe, which is a cool nickname, but get AJ. If you pick Andromeda, she could go by Meda or Andie too!
Julie-Anne is a great option. Some other ideas:
JoAnne
Abbey Jo
Abbey Jules
Abbey June
Aubrey Jo
Aubrey Jules
Aubrey June
Ada Juliet
Ada Julia
I wish you could use Jabba!
Or Celeste Ava-Julie
Celeste Julia-Bram
If Julianna is really out, I agree that most of the mash up types remaining seem a bit messy. I’d probably just do 2 middles, or pick the most meaningful connection and go with that.
Celeste Julia Abigail is lovely.
I think Judiana might be a real name. It strikes a cord from somewhere or other. Probably a book set in the medieval era.
Abigail would be a pretty good nod to your Abraham, too. Also, doubled middle names aren’t all that uncommon, so Celeste Abigail Julie would be pretty cool. Both my little brother and my youngest cousin have doubled middle names. (Though my brother hasn’t acknowledged his since he was 6. Honestly, I don’t blame him. “Elf” is just wrong; Mom was _pissed_ when she learned his father added it.)
Judiana is from the Chronicles of the Deryni by Katherine Kurtz: Sister Iris Judiana of the Arc-en-Ciel convent. It came right to mind because my youngest son is Kelson, named for a main character in the series Prince/King Kelson. Fantasy, but definitely medieval!
Probably there! I like Joram’s name best. My only “problem” with the series is the “and then what!” especially in the middle centuries.
I’m all for a hyphenated middle and/or double middle to emphasis the honors when the names flow well together. (I, myself, have a hyphenated middle, Jean-Marie, and it is an honor name after my great-aunt who died when my mom was a kid.) So… Julie-Anna or Abigail Julia? Anna-Jean?
Maybe a single name that captures the sounds/essence of each? Jillian kind has the sounds of both Julia and Abraham. Julienne or Julina are variations of Julianna that might make it different enough from the cousin’s name.
If you aren’t married to the “J”… Abril pulls in sounds from both Abraham and Julia. Abrianna, again, feels like it is both Abraham and Julianna.
If you want a combo, the names that resonated with me from Swistle’s list were Joyanne/Joyanna,
You could also create your own unique hybrid, if you are into that sort of thing. (I’m not bold enough but wanted to throw out this option.) For example: Juliabra. Abrulia.
You could just make her middle name Ajay.
I do like the suggestion of Celeste Joanna.
Jubilee/Jubalee comes to mind
Wouldn’t have an “a” if you spelled it with an “I” but the “b” is such a prominent sound in Abraham it feels like it would work.
I tend to shy away from made up/smoosh names myself, but can’t think of anything combining J &A that hasn’t been mentioned or doesn’t sound too forced.
if your great grandmother’s name was actually Julia, perhaps something like Abria might work?
Celeste Abria ‘Milk’
I really like Celeste Jubilee.
I also like using the double middle name here Maybe
Celeste Jules Abram “Milk”
If I wanted a Julianne I would use it. I think a friend would not care if you use it as a way to honor, especially a middle name.
Also like Joanna
And i think instead of aJay. I would think initials are kind of super cool. I knew someone whose middle name was H
Celeste A J Milk
Good luck
I think the best option is to just pick two names you like and have two middles, hyphenated if you like, but not forced into a weird name casserole when they will feel better be slightly more distinct dishes (you guys…quarantine has me eating a lot). I think the J name sounds best second, otherwise they really rub together.
Celeste Alba Julianne “Milk”
Celeste Abigail Julia “Milk”
Celeste Aviva Joy “Milk”
Abra is a feminized variant of Abraham. Celeste Julie Abra could work. I’m a big fan of two middle names.
I was about to suggest the same. I think Abra is lovely.
Celeste Junia “Milk” would work.
Abelia literally smooshes together Abraham and Julia to make a recognized name.
Celeste Abelia “Milk”
Congrats and best wishes to you and your family!
Oh! Anja!!
Celeste Anja Milk
Glorious.
My understanding is that it’s pronounced AHN-yuh, not AHN-juh as it may appear, but I think that the tribute is still in there.
Other names that come to mind are:
Anjelina
Anjuli
Juna
Joan
Janet
Jane
Janna
Jenna
I’d go with a double middle or hyphenated middle. Something like Celeste Julia Anna or Celeste Julia-Abra.
I don’t really understand why Julianne/Juliana can’t be used. As a first name it could potentially cause confusion at gatherings, but certainly not as a middle. And if Giuliana is named for the same Julia, you have just as much right to it!
I think the double or hyphenated middle works – it’s not too much with a short last name like “Milk”.
I would go for Ava, especially if Abraham ever went by “Abe”.
Celeste Julianne Milk is beautiful
Celeste Ava Julia Milk is also lovely, if there are more reasons not to use Julianne which aren’t mentioned
Maybe you should just use the honor names. If you put Abraham second, it sound a bit like a double surname. Then you are truly honoring them. Celeste Julia Abraham Milk sounds great to me. It honors the people directly, and I’ve heard of people using male names in the middle spot for girls without issue. We rarely use our middle names, and “it’s an honour name” is a totally valid explanation if anyone were to ask. Using the true names are always better IMHO.
I came to the comments section to say this exactly! Two middle names, using the exact honor names! Celeste Julia Abraham Milk – love it.
Abraham as a second name for a girl certainly has precidence. My nearest example is my grandma Gerald, named after her dad’s best friend. (They thought she’d be last.)
I agree with the commenters who prefer using two middles names if you’d like to honor both relatives. Celeste Julia Abra Milk would be lovely, if it’s important to have the honor names be close or the same as those of the namesakes (that’s usually my preference unless the family’s traditions dictate otherwise).
I do not find Julieanne/JulieAnne and Giuliana to be the same name at all. With the information provided I see this as a none issue, especially with one being a first name and one being the middle.
If it’s unusable, I find a double middle name to be less cumbersome than the mashups. Lots of great suggestions made already. And I love the idea of just using Julia Abraham as the middle.
Or Julianne ;-)
It’s hard to combine J and A and come up with a single name that clearly honors Julia and Abraham — something like Janetta feels like a huge stretch. To obviously honor your relatives the best bets seem to be including Julia or something in the Julia family, and/or using an ‘Ab’ name instead of just an A. Even better if it’s a long A, like in Abe, instead of a short A, like in abs.
These are my favorite options for you that use both Julia and Abraham:
– Celeste Julia Abraham ‘Milk’ (This is my favorite! Both of your people right in there to see your Celeste through life!)
– Celeste Abraham Julia ‘Milk’
– Celeste Abra Julia Milk
– Celeste Julie Abra Milk
– Celeste Julia Abie Milk
– Celeste Abie Julia Milk
– Celeste Julia Aba Milk (Like Ava with a b. It’s the second middle so I wouldn’t worry about pronunciation!)
Or pick one or the other, even if you have to wait to meet her:
– Celeste Julia Milk
– Celeste Abraham Milk
– Celeste Abra Milk
– Celeste Aba Milk
– Celeste Abie Milk
Use a name or create a name that combines Julia and Abraham:
Abril (April in spanish! Be sure to look it up if you don’t speak Spanish)
Abia (wait… I like Abia! Long A like Abe, not a short A like Abs)
Abria
Iara
Jia
Jara
Jiha
OR… dig into other ways to honor Abraham. Options are saving it for another baby if you think you’ll have one; using Abraham’s birth month, or the flower or stone of his birth month; the name of a city or town that was important to him; something that has to do with his profession or hobby.
I hit post and realized Abia sounds kind of … anatomical. I withdraw that suggestion :)
I prefer the double middle over the smoosh. I also like an honor name to be fairly close to the original name. With those preferences in mind, I suggest:
Celeste Julia Mabel. The ABE in Mabel makes me connect the name to Abraham.
honestly I would name her Celeste Julia Abraham lastname. My good friend named her daughter Willa James to honor a good friend. Anything other than the actual name to honor someone is always a stretch for me.
Alia – combines the A of Abraham with -lia from Julia. Celeste Alia.
I like the Alia suggestion!
How about just Celeste Julia Anne Milk or Celeste Julie Anne Milk. I’m not entirely sure what you are looking for, but it seems like you have a lot of suggestions that might fit the bill, or at least act as a jumping off point.
My number 1 vote is for Celeste Julia Abraham Milk. My second is for Celeste Anna-June Milk.
Celeste Julia Abraham is lovely. I also don’t think Julianne as a middle name infringes on Giulana, but perhaps there are family dynamics at play that you chose not to share.
As for combining the two names, maybe Anjolie or Jamila/Jamilla/Jamilah might work, but neither option clearly references either Julia or Abraham.
I like Abria (ah BREE uh) or Abrielle, but since you first intended to honor your great-grandmother, maybe you want Julia to be more prominent than Abraham?
Thanks, everyone, for these great ideas!
The double middle name and the made-up combination name aren’t our styles, so we’ve narrowed it down to Julia, Ava, or Jane. (We also really liked Juliette or even Jenevieve, but they’re a bit of a mouthful with Celeste).
Any other more classic J-name suggestions? Unisex or even male names could work well, too (like James).
I say go French all the way with Celeste Jolie. The accented second syllable in Jolie pairs beautifully Celeste.