Dear Swistle,
Our baby girl is due on Dec 23. We still have not decided on a name. Our last name is Durham with an “n” instead of an “r”. Big Sister’s name is Leah Alexandra (her middle name is honouring my amazing grandma). Little sister’s middle name will likely be Margaretta, after my husband’s grandma. We both also like Christine as a middle name.
We like classic, but not overused names. Our problem is, most of the first names we like either seem too similar to Leah or have confusing spelling.
Here is a list we started with:
-Clara (my husband does not like as much as our other choices)
-Jessica (same as above)
-Tessa (our current favourite, but I am not 100% sure)
-Christina (I really like it, but we are likely to shorten it and I don’t like Tina or Chrissy)
-Alisa (we both like it, but is it too similar to Leah? This spelling is common in my home country and I always liked it, but she’d probably have to always spell it here)
-Kiera (we both like it, but again, would she have to spell it every time?)So this leaves us with the three top choices: Tessa, Alisa, or Kiera. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Thank you!
Anya.
I do think Kiera would lead to constant spelling issues; I kept having to look back at the letter to see if I had it right, and I STILL got it wrong in the poll and had to fix it. Pronunciation is another issue: is it two syllables (KEER-rah) or three (kee-AIR-ah)? If it’s the same as Keira, Keira is currently the more common spelling in the United States: 443 new baby girls named Kiera in 2013, and 1,559 new baby girls named Keira.
If Alisa is pronounced ah-LEE-sah, then it does sound very similar to Leah to me. LEE-ah and ah-LEE-sah. I think too that it would be confused with Alyssa and Elise.
For classic-but-not-overused and a relatively easy spelling, I think Tessa is the best from your list. I like it with both middle name options, too.
Let’s see what everyone else thinks!
Name update!
Hi Swistle,
Our little girl Tessa Margaretta arrived on December 30! Thanks so much for your thoughts (and your readers’ thoughts) on our name question. Her name suits her beautifully.
Best wishes,
Anya
I agree with Swistle about Tessa – has exactly the qualities you’ve outlined.
Except I’m truly drawn to Christina, and wonder how you would feel about Kit as a short form? At one point we considered Christopher, called Kit, but I think it works just as well – maybe better! – for a daughter.
Kitty would be darling for a baby, but Kit is cool for any age.
I like this suggestion for Christina. It is strange that Kit is traditionally short for Christopher or Katherine, two unrelated names. (I love Kit and if I had another child I would consider a given name that gets me that nickname.)
I think Tessa is your best choice, based on everything that Swistle said. Also, Tessa Christina or Tessa Margaretta sound lovely. Tessa and Leah are an adorable sibset as well.
In case you want other names to think of, here are a few:
Claire
Jane
Anne
Samantha
Polly
Etta
Dorothy
Cate
Molly
Harriet
Good luck!
Both of the Kieras I know pronounce it the same way- 2 syllables, so I would assume that’s how it’s pronounced. I like it best.
You can’t go wrong with Tessa. Classic, stylish. I only know one and she’s a great teenage girl who can throw a softball across a lake! I like Christina nn Kit, Kitty, or Cricket.
I really like Tessa. But just to throw out another nickname option for Christina, I have a friend named Christina who occasionally goes by Xina (pronounced like the warrior princess). I also really like the idea of a Cricket :)
I thought Alisa would be pronounced the same as Alyssa. If it’s not, I think that name will have pronunciation issues. I personally really like Tessa and I think it’s better with a sister, Leah, based on similar styles than Kiera is.
I voted for Kiera because I generally don’t think spelling it every time is a dealbreaker.
FWIW, I am a Leah of the 80’s with a younger sister named Michelle. I have grown to appreciate my parent’s choice in naming us with different styles / number of letters / ending “uh” vs. “elle” etc. As sisters we are individuals and I like that our names aren’t so matchy. Congrats and good luck!
I agree, Tessa seems perfect for you.
However, of your top 3, I also really like Kiera. I think I’m less concerned about spelling issues than many people. I’ve always had to spell my first name. At worst, it can sometimes be annoying. But it’s not really that big of a deal, it’s just something you get used to. Even more common names sometimes have to be spelled. Leah/Lea, Christina/Kristina, Alisa/Elisa.
Of your top 3, Alisa is probably my least favorite for you because I do think it sounds too much like Leah.
Of your other names, Christina & Jessica both seem pretty dated to me still. I’d group these as “mom names” that aren’t ready for a comeback yet.
I also really like Clara for you. I would probably rank it higher than Tessa if your husband liked it more. Since you both like Christina & Alisa, I wonder if you & the husband would like Clarissa? You could still use Clara as a nickname if you wanted.
I’ve read that Stina is a Scandinavian shorting for Christina.
I just looked it up in behindthename.com:
STINA
GENDER: Feminine
USAGE: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Meaning & History
Scandinavian short form of CHRISTINA and other names ending in stina.
I like it because you can easily go back and forth between Stina and Christina, calling her both.
In the comments:
“I have a cousin in Scandinavia who spells it Stine, but pronounces it the same way. The ‘e’ has an ‘a’ sound over there.”
“Stina Nordenstam is a Swedish indie singer whose best-known track is Little Star.”
“I like the name Stina. It’s sweet and pretty and cute. :)”
Under the listing for Christina Behindthename has this long list of diminutives:
DIMINUTIVES: Chris, Chrissie, Chrissy, Christa, Christi, Christie, Christy, Ina, Kiki, Krista, Kristi, Kristie, Kristy, Tiana, Tina, Christabel, Christabella, Christabelle, Christobel, Kris, Kristia (English), Christa, Christel, Christin, Ina, Kiki, Krista, Kristin (German), Christin, Ina, Kia, Kristin, Stina (Swedish), Christin, Ina, Kjersti, Kristin, Stina, Stine, Tine (Norwegian), Christa, Christin, Ina, Kristin, Stina, Stine, Tine (Danish), Ina, Stien, Tina, Tineke (Dutch)
I especially like Stina and Tineke (pronounced similarly to Annika? TEEN-uh-kuh?) and might use them both: Stina as the official diminutive, Tineke as a cute pet name.
I like Kiera or Keira a lot! Most names have some spelling issues, so I don’t think the problem will be that much worse with this name. Kira is another possible spelling if you want to simplify pronunciation difficulties. How about using the Starbucks test to see what happens with your top names? (Give the potential name when you order a coffee or any such thing…) Ultimately you’ll have to decide if spelling issues are more important than other factors.
Sweet, warm Tessa is by far my favourite of your top three, and I think it sounds great with either Margaretta or Christine and with Durham. I think it complements Leah well without being matchy. I agree that Alisa (which I’m assuming is pronounced ah-LEE-sa) sounds too similar to Leah, and that Kiera would definitely be misspelled a lot, whether it’s pronounced KEER-uh or kee-AIR-uh.
I think of Kiera as being said like “KEY-AIR-AH” which I don’t love. I like the spelling Kira to help with the pronunciation and it may also help with your spelling issue. I love Christa as a diminutive of Christina.
My main issue with Tessa/Alisa/Kiera is they all hit my ear as matchy-matchy with not just Leah but also with Margaretta. It just strikes me as a lot of A sounds with Leah Alexandra, but maybe that is what you are going for. Have you considered variations of Margaretta? Marguerite or Margot would be some fresh alternatives with different sounds.
Here are some other first names I think would work great for you, especially paired with Margaretta.
Elise/Elyse (personally prefer the Elyse spelling)-very similar to Alisa
Claire- similar to Clara
Abigail
Sidney/Sydney
Faith
I wonder if you would like underused classic Theresa, nicknamed Tessa or Tess. Theresa Christine, Leah & Theresa.
I was thinking along these lines as well. A Theresa or Therese Christine would be cute with an older sister Leah.
In addition to Tess/Tessa, you’d have Reese as a nickname option!
If you like Clara and Kiera, why not go straight to Chiara? Leah and Chiara.
So, my best friend’s name is Kiera (spelled this way and pronounced with 2 syllables) and she generally has to spell it once and then people get it. Now anything else seems wrong to me, but I do think another option would be Kira.
Honestly, I agree with the poster above that sometimes spelling isn’t a deal-breaker. People named Catherine/Katherine/Kathryn have to let people know which way their name is spelled. I have a soft spot for Kiera and I like it with Leah.
Second place for me is Tessa. I love Tess. Leah and Tess. Lovely.
I like Kiera the best. I like Alisa too, but it seems a little dated. I knew a ton of Alisas in school (pronounced Ah-Lisa), so I can’t imagine any spelling problems as it’s not an unusual name. Alisa is very similar to Leah, though. I personally don’t think Tessa is as nice as the other options on it’s own. I like Teresa nn Tessa better because Tessa seems so nicknamey, but obviously you like it and it would make a good name too.
If you like Tessa, do you like Vanessa? It’s not popular, as well-known as Leah, comes with a the nickname of Nessa (which is where the Tessa connection comes in), and is almost always spelled one way.
Vanessa Margaretta has a musical sound, and Vanessa Christine is elegant in every way.
Best wishes to you as you welcome your younger daughter!
My name is Leah and if I have a girl I plan to name her Tessa! Its a sign! :) They are a great pair and both equally matched awesome names!! Only drawback would be Tessa has a built in nickname and Leah does not but thats ok – just something to think about!
Tessa Christine would be my choice of your options. Have you considered some similar names that don’t end in a?
Instead of Alisa, what about Alexis? Leah and Alexis. Alexis Margretta.
Instead of Kiera, what about Kira? Leah and Kira. Kira Margretta
Insead of Jessica, what about Jessa? Leah and Jessa. Jessa Christina.
Instead of Christina, what about Chloe? Lean and Chloe. Chloe Margretta.
When I said your last name out loud, I immefia thought of Olivia. Olivia Durham. I love the sound. That said, I think Tessa is great.
I prefer Christine to Christina (it sounds very French and Phantom-of-the-Opera to me, and I think Christine Margaretta is lovely. Kit is the darlingest, spunkiest nickname.
Tessa Christine is also a beautiful combination and goes perfectly with Leah.
Dear Swistle and all the readers,
Thank you so much for your thoughts and comments! After reading everything, Tessa became an even stronger favourite of ours. We are still considering Kiera (or Kira, as some of you suggested). I will be sure to update after she’s here – any day now! Thanks so much once again.
Beautiful name for your beautiful baby: Tessa Margaretta sounds perfect in every way!
Congratulations!