Hello, Swistle!
We are due with a baby girl in April. We have one son named Jack. Our surname is two syllables, ends in an “s,” and is very common (think Williams).
My husband and I have extremely different taste in names, and it’s been hard to pin down a final name for our daughter. Right now our top contender is June. We both love the name, but I’m concerned it’s too close to Jack? We want at least 4 children, and we don’t plan on carrying on a one-syllable J theme. Would it be odd to have two J’s right next to each other, then not continue that trend? Am I overthinking?
In addition, my brother recently started seriously dating a lovely girl named June; however, she spells it “Joon,” or “Joonie,” and it’s a nickname for something else. My family exclusively calls her “Joonie,” though, so I’m worried adding another June/Junie would be very confusing? This isn’t a dealbreaker for me, as relationships come and go, and we liked the name before they started dating. It’s just another factor adding to my confusion!
I also love the names Etta, Georgia, and Rosie, and he loves Lila. I don’t mind Lila, but it doesn’t feel like “the one” for this baby. I’m also afraid it might be the next big name, and I don’t love the idea of naming her something with equal popularity to “Jack.” To get a further sense of our name style, had she been a boy, I very much liked the names Lewis or Simon.
Note: if we don’t end up naming her June, we won’t be using it as a middle name. We would save it as a future first name for another daughter, should we have a second.
I would love your thoughts, or additional name suggestions that have a similar vibe to June!
Thanks so much.
I think Jack and June is cute, and that it would be considered cute. It isn’t like John and Jane (a pairing we briefly considered for our twins, because we liked the names separately, but we nearly instantly vetoed it), where there’s another shared consonant sound AND a negative association (John/Jane Doe): the initial is the same, and they’re both one-syllable names, but the other sounds are completely different. If you imagine hollering one name up the stairs, the other child is not going to think you’re calling them. But it IS cute: it sounds like it could be the name of a company, and in fact if you search online you’ll find several.
For me, the primary consideration against it is that you’re planning more kids—and so that’s where I’d start: naming a pretend third (and possibly fourth) child. Imagine that you have named your secondborn June, so you have Jack, June, and ? If you feel like you can come up with more names for that sibling set (and can hold on after the third one is named and seems like odd-one-out for awhile, until the fourth one is named and makes the situation more stable), then I think you’re okay: you wouldn’t even WANT to continue the one-syllable J-name theme. So if you like Jack, June, Lila, and Georgia, or Jack, June, Louis, and Simon, then everything is fine and I think you should just go right ahead and use the name you like best. If, however, you feel uneasy when you try to choose a third/fourth, then maybe you’d rather go with the plan to use something different this time and save June for a possible second girl. Sometimes a sibling in between can make all the difference.
On the other hand, as soon as I write that, I wonder if it might not be particularly charming to have the older kids with similar names and maybe the younger kids also with similar names? Jack and June, Lila and Louis? I love that. I realize we can’t know how many kids you’ll have or what their sexes will be; it’s more that I think if you DO feel like THIS BABY is June, I can see real potential for having fun (as opposed to feeling painted into a corner) with future names. You can write to us again! We will help with the fun!
I can see how your brother’s new girlfriend’s name is making things feel a little unsettled. I would feel the same way. It sounds to me as if you have that in perspective, though: you know she may not last, and/or that she may last awhile and then be a painful association, and/or that she may be a permanent addition to the family. The difference in spelling does make a difference to me, as does the fact that it’s a nickname for another name. But I can also see how this might be one too many complications, and may be an argument for saving the name for later.
I’m obviously completely guessing, and also you should keep in mind that I was very surprised when Charlotte and Evelyn went Top 10, so it’s not as if I have a keen and reputable track record—but it seems to me the name Lila already had its run for the top, and since then has fallen back to settle comfortably in the 200s:
(screenshot from https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/)
It shoots up all of a sudden there starting in 1998 (notice that before that it had been out of the Top 1000 since 1982); and anyone considering it in 2006-2010 would have good reason for thinking it was heading up the way Isabella/Charlotte/Emma/etc. did. But then it just stalls out. It hangs around for awhile thinking about it in 2010-2014, but by 2015 it’s decided it’s happy where it is and isn’t going to try for queen of the hill. Then we have a good five years or so chilling in the 200s, which is a lovely place for a name to be: familiar and non-startling, but also not very common at all.
I’m interested in the question about names similar to June, because I feel like there are surprisingly few. June is vintage, but not COMMON vintage like Jane; it’s a month, which puts it in the special/noun category; it’s one syllable, which adds another level of distinction. I am hoping commenters can help with this; some of the ones I’m coming up with are more like June combined with other names on your list. The Baby Name Wizard suggests Rose, Eva, Iris, Joy, Ruby, May. I would add Jane, Jean, Joan; they don’t solve your issue, and none of them are quite right, but they’re adjacent, and may lead us to think of other possible candidates. Fiona and Simone (Simone would rule out Simon) keep coming to my mind even though I would not really put them in the same category. Ruth? Louise (would rule out Lewis/Louis)? Eliza? Frances/Frankie. Kay(e). Polly, Sally, Leigh, Lynn—all names I think would sound extremely fresh on a new baby. Cora, Clara. Mabel. Pearl. Ada, Alice, Greta. I might look at botanical names: Violet, Dahlia/Dalia, Laurel, Olive, Hazel. Oh! Fern?? Flora? IVY!!
Name update:
Hi, Swistle!
Our sweet June Elisabeth was born in April. When it came down to it, we just couldn’t resist the magic of June—you were right, there’s nothing quite like it! Plus, it fits her perfectly. Thanks to you and your readers for the input!
Love the suggestion of May/Mae (although that would rule out June for later use). My children are Rose, May and Jack and I feel we have similar naming styles.
What about Lillian? Your husband could get the nickname Lila, or Lily is a great nickname too, and the full name is more of the June vintage. I love Maggie with this sibset too.
I like Jack and June. June was my youngest child’s name until they changed it and we had Jack (as a nickname for John) on our long list of boy names during that pregnancy. I wasn’t thinking of using them together but there are cute together.
A little story: My maternal grandparents both had names that started with L and their first two kids did, too. But then they went on to have three more, none of whom had L names and I never even really thought about it until I was an adult. I think you can break a pattern without it seeming weird, so if June is your heart’s desire, I’d go with it. I did like the idea of having the next two share a letter, but even that’s not necessary.
Love your choices. I think it’s Ecovintage style? Jack and June are possible in my mind. But it’s the girlfriend giving me pause. I don’t have details but that could be awkward at some point, as Joon/June and Joonie/Junie sound the same aloud. I’d save it for a future kid and save both the J pattern and association complications.
Lots of great suggestions. I’ll put forward Sylvie and Penny. I think Simone and Louise / Lucy are also super sweet if you can give up future Simon and Lewis (maybe in favour of George, Ambrose, Linus or Lyle?)
I think Lila fans are using Isla instead? Not sure if it’s as hot in the states, but Isla has been steadily climbing in Canada, and I know two people who used it instead of Lila, thinking it would be fresher, but it’s actually way more common and trendier. So who knows. If you love Lila, I’d go for it!
This takes you to the other extreme of popularity, but what about Oona?
I also like Rose…but feel obligated to point out the Titanic association if you haven’t thought of it already.
I love love love Jack and June. And my children don’t share a first initial. I just love this pair, and don’t think you need to continue the J trend. As for the girlfriend, you might find people call your baby “Baby June” or “sweet baby June” to differentiate, which I think is pretty sweet. And if she marries your brother, she will be Aunt Joonie. I don’t know, I just don’t think it would stop me if it was a name we both actually liked! My husband and I struggled with a name for our daughter, so after that experience, I feel like one you both love is GOLD.
What about Jack and Lily? Not Jack and Rose because of the Titanic movie. I also like Ivy, Vera, and Ruby with Jack. I liked June but used Mae (a family name) so that got ruled out for us. I love the oo sound and did end up with a Luke. Good luck!
I am on the fence about the Jack and Rose/Titanic movie connection being an issue. The movie is 25 years old already (how is this possible?!?!?!), so while we may make that connection, I doubt younger generations will.
I love the suggestion of Lillian for you and Vera. I also wanted to add Opal, I think it is the same style as June. I like one commenters suggestion that if you go with June she could go by “baby June”… we have a similar situation in our family and it works!
Jack and June is a little too cutesy for me. If I met you in real life – I would in no way mind or think about it, but since you asked, they do seem too similar to me. Maybe save it for a potential future daughter ?
I absolutely love the name Lila and that has my vote , but I’m throwing out Mae and Penny too. Jack and Mae, Jack and Penny 😀
I think Jack and Georgia sounds lovely together and leaves the options open for future children in terms of the initials and the style of the name because you’re not as boxed in as you would be with two very similar J names.
Actually, Jack, Georgia and June sound so precious together if you want to save June for another daughter!
I like Jack and June.
I also like Jack and Julia, nicknamed Jules/Jooles.
Jack and Ruby is nice too, but it makes me think of Jack Ruby (murdered Lee Harvey Oswald). Admittedly, I’m old, so it’s likely only older people might make the same connection.
What about Louisa? A bit more vintage revival than Lila and similar to Lewis that you love. I strongly prefer Louisa to Louise. Maybe Lenora? Lacy!?
How about Tilda? Short, vintage, punchy. Just a great name.
I wonder if you might like Mary, nn Molly?
I think Jack and June is super sweet, but the girlfriend would make me pause I think. It’s possible I love it even more with a sibling in between, say Jack, Ivy, June and Simon? But of course there are no guarantees you’d have another girl, so if you feel you would always have sad pangs to have missed out on the name June, I hear you and I would go for it now. I still get little sad pangs I’ll never have a Tess or a Nina after my second and last baby was a boy.
I think Swistle has covered most of the names I would think of in the same category, and love: Lucille, Ivy, Molly, Violet, Joy, Pearl, Cora, Harriet, Ruth. Or Nell?
There’s Lyla and Lylah and Lilah, so it does feel more popular than the charts suggest.
yeah, I came here to say the same thing: I think the data Swistle provided is actually showing Lila losing out to different spellings like Laila. The nameberry playground analysis of the US 2020 name data groups together names I would say as “LIE-la” with some I would say “LAY-la”, and together that group comes in at #16.
Lila is a lovely name, and I think it goes great with Jack, but I think it’s fairly likely that at some point there would be another child in the family’s extended social circle with a very similar name. I don’t think that’s a big enough problem not to use it though! Jack will surely encounter the same thing.
Just today met a young Leila pronounced Lila.
I feel like there’s nothing quite like June… it’s feminine, it’s vintage, but ending in a vowel sound gives it a sort of straightforward, no-nonsense strength.
Other vintage names ending in consonant sounds:
Violet
Olive
Iris
Irene
Claire
Helen
Alice
Ruth
Lucy!
Luella
Zoe
Isla
Greta
Harriet
Bonnie
Grace
Faye
Iris
Sunny
Daisy
Elise
Daphne
Una
I have a June and we just had a boy and seriously considered Jack. Ultimately decided it was a little too cutesy BUT we would use it for a third or fourth sibling.
Girl names I like that I consider somewhat similar to June:
Claire
Ivy
Beatrice nicknamed Bea
Elizabeth with a punchy nickname like Zuzu
Caroline
Ruth
Unfortunately I agree with the above commenter who says there is nothing quick like June!
Susanna (and alternate spellings of that name) traditionally can take the nickname Zuzu! Love that.
What about Juniper? You would get away from the one syllable matchiness of Jack and June as well as having a separate name from your brother’s girlfriend, but still use June for a nickname at home.
That’s what I was going to suggest! I love Juniper.
Our first two daughters have very similar names, but exactly on purpose. Our oldest, Shirley, was named after a dear family friend and then I always loved the name Charlotte. So we went with that next. We named our third daughter, Magnolia and then since we wanted the last two to go together a bit, we named our fourth daughter Violet. And I liked how our second and fourth daughter’s names rhyme. All that to say, I also don’t think you’re painted into a corner if you name your first two Jack and June. 😊
I meant NOT exactly on purpose. 😊
You are so cool for naming your kid Shirley! I recently met a baby Beverly and was smitten.
My cousin’s two oldest children are Jack and Julia, and I never gave it a moment’s thought. And when he had three more kids, all with non-J names, I didn’t think that was strange either. So I am definitely in the camp that Jack and June are not too similar, and you won’t be boxed into J names if you have more children. That said, I can see how it might be too cutesy for some…but I think that only matters if it matters to you. There are a lot of other great suggestions in the post and comments! I’ll add Anna, one of my all-time favorite girl names, which seems to fit your style and sounds nice with Jack. Or Annie.
I love Anna or Annie, but it is worth noting that Jack and Annie the main characters in the “Magic Treehouse” book series. Could be a plus or a minus depending!
I came to suggest Juniper too.
Other possibilities:
Tess
Nina
Nell
Meg
Beth or Liz or Bess
Kay
Molly
Nora
June makes me think of Pearl, May, April, Rose (but not with Jack), Daisy, Lucy
Lily makes me think of Jill (but not with Jack), Tilly (maybe from Matilda?), Milly (maybe from Millicent?), Iris, Ivy.
I agree with Swistle that Lily + June = Fern.
I love the name June! Since you mentioned popularity, I will say that, in my world, the name June has had a meteoric rise. The social security data show that it’s currently at #182, so no as popular as Jack. But that’s in comparison to #872 in 2008, so on the rise in a pretty dramatic way.
I was just thinking about how Jack and Grace sound like such a good sibset. Cute and timeless.
Other options:
Jack and Ruby.
Jack and Sarah.
Jack and Leah.
Jack and Maya.
Jack and Lucy.
Jack and Wren.
I think Jack and June are adorable together and solid names alone. You don’t know if you are having another girl, so if that is the girl name you all like best, use it now! I think if you have another Georgia or George continue the sound without the initial so they still hang well together. The j sound is more flexible then some.
Jack and Lucy
Jack and Maddie (Madeline for full name)
Jack and Eloise
Jack and Hannah
Jack and Anna
Jack and Abby (Abigail for full name)
Jack and Sophie
Jack and Lily
Jack and Violet
Jack and Vera
Jack and Penny
I think Jack and June are great together. A bit cuter than I would do, but I wouldn’t think twice about it if someone else named their kids those names. I also wouldn’t worry about the girlfriend, you have no idea if she’ll be in your lives long term, how disappointed would you be if they broke up shortly after the baby was born? And if they stay together, it will be a cute tie-in connecting them.
I also like your choices, Etta, Georgia, and Lila. I wouldn’t do Rose with Jack.
My favorite of Swistle’s suggestions is Pearl, followed by Ada.
Personal story: my name is Keri, my sister’s name is also 2 syllables and starts with K. Let’s say Karla. Despite being obsessed with baby names my entire life, it wasn’t until my 30s that I realized the similarities. My other sister is Arianna, so that helps dilute the connection; maybe before Arianna was born, people thought my parents were going to use all K names, but nobody has brought it up once in my life.
She is beautiful!
Thanks for updating!
Congratulations all around!