Hi Swistle!
I love your blog & baby names! I feel like I’ve been making lists of my favorite girl names most of my life, but now I finally get to pick MY baby girl’s name (after having 3 boys!) and am having a bit of decision paralysis. I am hoping you and your readers may be able to help, so we can make a final decision and avoid a Dirty Dancing situation where she goes by Baby her entire life.
We are expecting our first girl in early February. She will be our 4th and last baby and has 3 older brothers: Jonah Patrick, Isaac Stephen, and Theodore (“Theo”) Raymond. Our last name is like “Glass” except with a B. One of us is very picky about boy names, so our 3 boy names were the ones left standing after comparing our lists. My husband’s family is Jewish, so we liked that Jonah and Isaac are Hebrew in origin, although we are not religious. We both really liked Theo and also liked both Theodore and Teddy if he wanted to change the name he goes by in the future. Each of our boys has a family middle name (maternal grandfather, paternal great-grandfather, and maternal great-grandfather).
Here are our finalists for girl names:
Anna or Anne nn Annie
Eliza
Penelope nn Poppy or Nell
Rose nn Rosie
Other names that almost made it on to this list (and we could be talked into adding): Ada, Charlotte, Claire, Clementine, Cora, Eleanor, Elizabeth nn Libby, Eloise, Georgia, Grace, Ivy, Hazel, Lillian/ Lily, Lydia, Maeve, Mia, Olive, Ruth, Sadie, Tessa, Violet, and Willa.
I like vintage and/or floral names that are recognizable but ideally feel fresh and not overused. I also prefer names with a recognized spelling and ‘staying power’ so that it fits her as a chubby cheeked toddler, a grown professional, and a sugar-cookie-baking grandma. I also favor names with good (or at least neutral) meanings. If the name has multiple nickname options, then I prefer to commit to one I like ahead of time to avoid an Elizabeth being called a Lizzie her whole life when I much prefer Libby.
My husband just likes the names he likes and will have final veto power of course (he likes all of the above names with the exception of Clementine and Violet, but I may be able to talk him into them ha). Bonus points if there is a kick a** historical figure with her name that we can share stories with her about (my middle and youngest son LOVE having the same names as Isaac Newton and Theodore Roosevelt and dressed up as them for Halloween this year).
If at all possible, we’d like to include a family name in her full name in some way. The 2 most obvious options are Elizabeth and Anne or some variation of those names, but we could also consider Lucille, Maeve, Mary, Maureen, or Bentura-with-a-V (my maiden name). I consider Eliza, Anna, and Anne to be family names. Rose is also apparently a family name from way back when (although it may not be as meaningful of a connection as our boys’ middle names).
Thanks in advance for any help you or your readers provide! It feels extra important to get Baby #4’s name right.
P.S. My youngest son has been calling her Rose since he first heard he was being ‘promoted’ to middle sibling. For that reason, I’ve always kind of thought of this baby as Rose even though I love the rest of our finalist names just as much if not more (depending on the day).
Sometimes a parent is feeling conflicted over a child’s opinion about what the new baby’s name should be, and I reassure them that there is no need to take that into account. My eldest felt VERY STRONGLY that his new baby brother should be named Plum, and there were tears shed, and I was nervous about it even though there was a 0% chance we were naming the baby Plum (though if the baby had been a girl, I might have considered it as a middle name)—and now it’s just a good family story, and my eldest doesn’t remember it at all so I’m glad we didn’t use the name as a middle for a girl, and there are no hard feelings. But in your case, you’ve got something different going on, and I find it compelling: it’s not just that the former-youngest has been referring to the baby that way, it’s also that you’ve started thinking of her that way. AND the name is in your finalist list. So although I still think there is no need to take into account the siblings’ preferences, it DOES cause me to put one completely voluntary tally-mark under the name Rose.
Your finalist list is very much in line with my own personal taste, which makes it even more difficult to vote. I am going to do what I do with my own name lists, which is to start nitpicking in the hopes of helping one name rise to the top.
Two nitpicks for Rose. One is that I don’t love the sound of it with your surname. The second nitpick is also subjective, and it’s the sort of thing where a downside for me could be an upside for someone else: it would give you a third long-O sound in the sibling group, or at least it does when Theodore goes by Theo. It’s not a matter of anyone being left out (I don’t think most people care about such minor issues, and in any case Isaac and Rose share an S-pronounced-Z sound), but more a matter of preferring variety of sound. But I wouldn’t let it stop me if Rose were my top favorite name: it’s the sort of thing I only noticed when I started being picky on purpose.
A similar nitpick for Eliza: it’s so similar in sound to Isaac, in addition to repeating the ending of Jonah. But if I say “Jonah, Isaac, Theo, and Eliza,” my ear catches nothing out of place. Still, for my own preferences, I would probably avoid having an Isaac and an Eliza in the same sibling group.
Same with Jonah and Anna. They’re separated by two siblings so it’s less of an issue, but the names still strike me as more similar than I’d prefer. But Anne/Annie seems great. Jonah, Isaac, Theo, and Anne. I’m not super keen on Anne with the surname, but that’s a difficult surname to work with.
I have no nitpicks at the moment for Penelope. It doesn’t repeat too many sounds; it seems fine with the surname. I don’t know if it’s more common than you would like: it was #25 last year, according to the Social Security Administration, while the others on the finalist list were less common: Anne was #625, Anna was #68, Eliza was #115, Rose was #113.
From your near-miss list, I’d like to pull Eloise back into the running. It’s up there with Eliza as one of my favorite names, and it avoids the sound-sharing issues of Eliza: Eloise doesn’t sound too much like Isaac, nor does it repeat the ending of any sibling names. Jonah, Isaac, Theo, and Eloise. (It does bring back the long-O nitpick but that feels like less and less of an issue the more I think about it, especially since Theo is a nickname and I don’t care anywhere near as much about nickname issues.)
So, let’s see. Middle names. If you choose the name Anne/Anna, then she already has a family name, and the middle might be a good spot for one of the other names you don’t use, or for a kickass namesake, or one of the names your husband didn’t like as a first name.
Same with Eliza: if you choose that, you’ve got the family name already and can move on to other preferences for the middle. I would pick Ruth for its kickass namesake Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Eliza Ruth! Or for a February baby, perhaps Valentine. Eliza Valentine! swoon
But Penelope would need a family middle name. I like so many of the options. Penelope Elizabeth is terrific (though my Elizabeth reports that a large percentage of her female classmates have Elizabeth as their middle name). Penelope Anne has a bit more hop to it: Anne was a pretty common middle name for girls in my era, but less so now. I also like the idea of using your family surname. Or would you want to consider giving her your first name as a middle? I so wish I’d given that idea even a passing consideration when naming my own daughter. I also love Penelope Lucille: it can lead to fun extended nicknames such as Nellie Lou. My own top favorite is Penelope with your first name; second choice is a tie between your family surname and Anne.
I think Rose would need a family middle name as well. Elizabeth works again: Rose Elizabeth. I also like Rose Eliza. I probably would not choose Anne or Anna. I like Rose with your family surname. I also like it with your first name. And I love it with Lucille: Rose Lucille! Rosie Lou! My own top favorite is Rose Eliza.
I love Anna/Anne nn Annie. I would go with Anneliese, nn Annie. Maybe Anneliese Rose. All of your options are lovely! Congratulations!
You have so many fabulous names on your list, I hesitate to add another…but I’m going to anyway. My girl name list was almost identical to yours so I feel compelled to suggest Emmeline, which is what we settled on for our daughter. As you mentioned liking the idea of using the name of a strong female historical figure, we chose the name partly because of the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. My vote would be Emmeline Rose, but I truly don’t think you can go wrong. Best wishes!
It’s so hard to choose when you have so many great options! I second naming the baby after yourself – I share a name with my mother and my daughter and it is so special. Congratulations!
I have an Ann, so I’m here to say how happy I think you’ll be if you go with Anne. It’s the ultimate familiar-but-refreshing name (maybe tied with Mary). People you’ve barely met, or the you’ve known your whole life, will delightedly tell you about the Annes in their family, or that Anne is their middle name, and it will feel very heartwarming because there really is a lot of affection out there for people named Anne, and not nearly enough little girls to absorb it all. Plus of course, almost unlimited namesakes in history & literature.
With your last name, I wouldn’t go for Rose/Rosie. Could lead to taunting “Rosie A**” because, well, some a**cheeks can be rosy colored.
My preschool daughter also called our growing fetus “Rosie” and was certain we should use this name. In the hospital, we actually did call her Rosie to see how we liked it. Ultimately, the baby has a different name and Rose is the middle name. I think you could do the same. Still a lovely name story, the sibling chose the middle name!
I like all the other finalist names and runner-up names!
I have a Penelope who is ten now and we still love her name so much. There is one other Penelope in her elementary school of 500, but I’m not so in tune with the preschool set get a feel for how many younger ones there are. Her middle name is not Rose, but a name that starts with Rose. People call her Penelope Rose and swoon over it, so highly recommend. Although I love Bentura-with-a-V as a middle name, so badass!
As soon as I saw this list my favorite was Rose. It’s just as classic as Anne/Elizabeth, but with a little extra sparkle. It’s vintage, has a beautiful meaning and fits a baby, a young woman and an old lady equally well.
If it were me, I would want a name that
reflects how having this long-awaited daughter melts my heart. And Rose checks that box.
Also, there is a mom blogger who has a daugther named Rose with your exact surname and it never sounded weird to me.
A word of caution about nicknames— remember the kid will have opinions too! I was named Elizabeth partially because my dad likes the nickname Liz. I HATE that name (for me) and have never gone by it. I did go by Lizzy when I was very young, then Litza since age 14.
They didn’t see that one coming at all.
Seconded. I hate being called Liz, too. I’ve only permitted 2 people in my entire life to use it, the aide in my kindergarten class and my 1st grade teacher (and even in those years, I told off anyone else for doing it). On the other hand, our cat came to us named Lizzy, and I’m totally cool with that. My sister’s preferred nickname has changed, (except with family) going with a less common one these days.
Anne Frank would be a great historical figure to look up to, maybe not so much for the Halloween costume.
Anne of Green Gables for a Halloween costume, Anne Frank for a school book report or presentation! ;)
My first choice would be Penelope Eloise, followed by Eliza Rose.
Others for fun (why not)
Rosemary (B)entura (called Rosie or Romy)
Matilda Elizabeth
Felicity Rose
Anna (G)lass has a nice ring to it. I think it’s the short-a sound in both the first and last name.
Anne Frank’s full name was Anneliese I believe, which is also a lovely name. Any Anne/Anna/etc name could pay tribute to Anne Frank.
Eleanor is also a great name: sounds great with your last name, good nickname options (Ellie, Ella, Norie, Nora, Lennie), and Eleanor Roosevelt is a nice historical figure.
It wasn’t on your list, but Evelyn is a nice name with vintage charm, sounds nice with your last name, and has nickname Evie/Evy (could be pronounced ee-vee or eh-vee)
Also not on your list, but Rebecca (nickname Becca), Miriam (Miri), Rachel, and Leah (might be too close in sounds to Theo) are classic, biblical, timeless names.
As an Elizabeth with three brothers, I am here to tell you the nicknames will come hard and fast from those older boys. Bet you’ll end up with one that’s totally off your radar now if you use it. I am still called Littlebis by younger cousins who couldn’t pronounce my full name years ago and it’s oddly charming. It’s not hard to get Lili/Lily as a nickname from Elizabeth, or even Lise, pronounced the German way (“Leeza”). Very versatile, super classic, serves one well throughout life.
We have a middle name Anna in our family and she gets compliments every time people hear it.
And can I beg you to name this this girl after yourself in some way?!?
I love all of your name choices and wish you the best! I just wanted to add…there are several children shows that have the main character or supporting character as Poppy. You wouldn’t think this would be a big deal but it’s actually kind of confusing in our house. And to add insult to injury my children call their grandfather Poppy. So I never know who I’m talking about. Lol
Best of luck!
I’d use Penelope Rose. My kids have a one syllable last name and I like to from load the syllables and your little boy could keep calling her Rose. Good luck!
Anne! Penelope! Glass! Anne Penelope Glass, Anne Glass, Annie Glass, Little Annie Nell!
You have great lists, both the front runners and the second string, but they seem to need streamlining so I just combined a couple of your likely firsts with likely middles.
Penelope Anne
Rose Elizabeth
I agree your list is lovely. If you’re trying to narrow then I also agree not another A-ending like Jonah. And yes honour yourself in her name!
You joked about Baby from DD, and back when the movie was new Frances sounded so dusty, but I actually think it’s so fresh these days. Frances nn Frankie? Or get to Nell from Helen – tons of namesakes. I also wonder if you’d promote Lucille to a first name? Lucie/Lucy is so sweet.
I really don’t think you can go wrong! But it must be hard to choose just one name after dreaming so long.
You have so many great options! we have very similar taste in names. I too rounded out some boys with a girl and we STRUGGLED to pick a name. It felt like even more pressure to get the girl name right somehow. We had ONE girl name, a family name I’d always wanted to use, that we agreed upon and my husband’s sister randomly used a similar name before our daughter and she didn’t want the similarity between cousins. We ended up choosing a family name (Jane) after she was born that was never high on our list and can I just say we LOVE LOVE LOVE it. So this is really a plug for a few things: 1) Anne/anna Nn Annie and Rose nn Rosie. Both are so classic and strong, (like Jane) known but not trendy, and tick all the boxes of fitting for a baby and an adult…bonus points that there are wonderfully famous people in history with those names! Also, you will likely get a LOT of positive feedback on those names. They are refreshing to hear I think! 2) a family name is really special. I loved being named after someone myself and (so far) my kids do as well.
3) as much as you agonize now, once you decide, she really will become that person that wears her name so perfectly and you will wonder why you ever worried about..whatever name you worried about.
My picks: Anna or Anne (nn Annie)..Anna Elizabeth or Anne Elizabeth?
Elizabeth Nn Eliza ( not sure of middle but I love Eliza Bass so so so much!)
Eleanor Elizabeth Nn Nell
Best of luck and congrats!
Anna / Anne and Eliza immediately stood out when I read your list. They are both a beautiful fit for your set of boys. But now Swistle has pointed out the sound shared between Eliza and Isaac, I am all team Anna / Anne. Since this is your last baby, I think you might as well add in another family name in the middle if you want to. Elizabeth, Rose or your maiden name would all be fantastic in the middle.
Oh man, it’s rare for me to find a list where I like every one of someone’s names! I love them all! I will say I’m biased toward Maeve because it’s our daughter’s name but from just your shortlist, it’s hard to choose! I would maybe rule out Eliza for the similarity to Isaac, then go with Annie or Penelope. And I absolutely think you should use (B)entura as her middle!! We chose a bit of an exotic-but-significant middle for our daughter (over Anne or Anneliese) and I love it!
I’m gonna make a plea for you to reconsider Lydia! It’s such a lovely and underused name and the nickname Lydie/Liddy is really sweet . Lydia Rose or Lydia Lucille are gorgeous (Lydie Lou- so cute!) Lydia has gentle bible vibes to it so it sounds perfect with Theodore, Isaac, and Jonah and I believe there is also a St. Lydia as well so that gives it your historical connection. Honestly all the names on your list are gorgeous so I don’t think you can go wrong. Good luck and congratulations!
Rosetta! Sister Rosetta Tharpe is for sure a badass historical figure, you get “Rose” in there, but have options on what you call her. I also like that it gives 2 kids who go by their full name and 2 who go by nicknames, if you choose to use one.
Amelia, as in Earhart, seems to fit your style.
Eliza could tie back to Eliza Hamilton, who founded the first private orphanage in New York City, and worked with other founding mothers to fundraise for the building of the Washington Monument.
(apologies to eagle-eyed readers who might notice that I’ve suggested Rosetta twice today 🙃)
Maybe Elizabeth Rose, nn Eliza? (Eliza Hamilton’s first name was really Elizabeth) It’s not really used all *that* much as a first name; I only know a scant handful under 25.
I also like
Anna Rose
Penelope Anne
Ada Elizabeth (Ada Lovelace, of course, was a pretty neat person.)
Eliza Claire
What about Roseanne? Two favorites and a family name in one. More unusual than Rose or Anne but still familiar. Sounds better with your surname. Tons of sweet nickname options. Or Roseanna.
Roseanne Bentura Blass
Roseanna Elizabeth Blass