please help!
I am due with my third baby at the end of this month and my husband and I still cannot seem to settle on a name. Our last name is two syllables and starts with a W.
We have a son, Kingston, and a daughter, Arizona, and we are expecting another girl (yay!). We don’t want another place name, but would like something that goes with those names and their style.
Names we have considered:
Honor- we both like this name because of the “on” that it shares with the other two names, but struggle with feeling like it may give too soft of a personality image to give to a baby who may end up being completely opposite.
Quinn- already have a boy nephew with this name. Love the Q and that it has the “n” ending like Kingston.
Ember- we love the meaning and look of it but I can’t help feeling like everyone will think her name is Amber, which is a name I am really not fond of.
Penny- my husbands favorite. I like it as a nickname but don’t like it on its own or any of the longer forms that it could be used with (ie. Penelope, aspen, Persephone etc)
Sunday- another name my husband has said no to. I love sunny as a nickname and its bright, happy sound. He thinks it’s too far from a normal name, which I can understand.
Gray- we love this name but aren’t sure if we can use it since we already have a child who shares a name with someone from the show grey’s anatomy, and also don’t know how well we feel it goes with the names of the other kids.
Any feedback would be appreciated. We have scoured countless name sites and read too many name lists and are running out of time!
Thanks,
Jessi
I love Gray. I’m a big fan of Grey’s Anatomy (note that the name in the show is spelled with an E!) and don’t think I would’ve thought of that connection until you mentioned it. They call her Robbins so much more often.
I really love Penny too, but I also like Penelope. And Persephone! Maybe Peony? I’m guessing these are all three too girly for your tastes, maybe. Pennington? Maybe just Penn, nn Penny?
Cool names! I have a vote and a few thoughts.
First off, I love Ember with your other kids’ names. When I read the title of this post (“…Kingston and Arizona”), I immediately thought of the fierce heat I’ve felt while visiting both of those places. Arizona, especially, even LOOKS fiery as a word. If you’re not going to use another place name, I think you can’t go wrong with the name Ember, which picks up on that theme in a different way.
Or (in the same vein) what about Blaze?
I don’t think there’s a big Grey’s Anatomy problem with the name Gray–honestly, with the different spelling, seeing the word Gray doesn’t even make me think of the show. However, to me this name doesn’t feel particularly harmonious with the rest of the sibset.
Finally, I disagree with your statement that Honor seems “too soft”–perhaps it has soft SOUNDS, but honor as a concept feels positive-neutral to me and can be modified by the context. Honor makes me think of quiet dignity (which does have a soft, reserved feel), but also of bravery and valor (like a soldier’s acts of honor–not soft at all!). So as long as your baby has any type of good character, I don’t think the name would read as ironic. :) However, in case you’re worried about this sort of thing, I would absolutely assume the parents of any baby Honor born in the 2010s had been influenced by Jessica Alba’s choice of the same name for her daughter 6 or 7 years ago. That’s simply because Honor is one of the few virtue names I had never ever heard used before, that seems to be in circulation now that little Honor Warren is in the celebrity baby news pages on a regular basis. On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with that–Honor is inherently defensible enough that I would grant the parents the benefit of the doubt (which I wouldn’t do for the parents of a baby Apple; I’d assume they were imitating Gwyneth).
Congratulations!
I prefer the spelling Blaise
Oh, and just in case your last name IS Warren or something very much like it, please note my warning above! Jessica Alba’s daughter is named Honor Marie Warren. Although I suppose it’s likely enough that she’ll be out of the news through the majority of your daughter’s life.
What about just Sunny as a name? I grew up with a girl named that and it always really suited her. I always just assumed it was a normal name, though maybe it isn’t?, but I really like it for you!
From your list, I actually really like Sunday, nickname Sunny. I also like Ember, nickname Emmy. I share your concern about it being mistaken for Amber, but that would not be a deal-breaker for me. If someone called her Amber, I would just gently correct them, “No not Amber. Ember, starts with E, like an ember in the fire.”
Honor makes me think of Haven. Kingston, Arizona and Haven. Haven is a pretty subtle “place” name so I like that connection to your other kids’ names.
Sunday makes me think Wednesday….kinda out there, but you could use Wendy as a nickname which seems cute! Kingston, Arizona and Wendy/Wednesday.
Quinn is on my list if we have another girl! Would be lovely for you as she will be the 5th member of your family. Would you be interested in other unisex names? Others I like are Avery, Micah, Harper and Morgan. I also kinda love Quintana….which now that I think about it sounds very awesome with your other kids’ names: Kingston, Arizona and Quintana, nickname Quinn (or even Queenie to match Kingston…SWOON!)
I like Penny too! What about Penrose, nickname Penny? Also an ancient place name. Could use Penny or Rosie. Kingston, Arizona and Penrose.
Gray/Grey is nice, but 50 shades series has kinda ruined it for me. Have you explored other color names? Some I think may work for you: Lavender, Sienna, Marigold, Olive, Violet
Just wanted to add that Quintana is a place name too. It’s a state in Mexico. The famous writer Joan Didion used it for her daughter. It means “the fifth daughter”
I don’t see a problem with Gray, but what about Gracen, which could be nn’d Gray?
Honor makes me think of Jessica Alba’s other daughter’s name — Haven. I like that better with Kingston and Arizona. Good luck! :)
I know you said you didn’t want another location name, but Aspen nn Penny sounds so perfect with Kingston and Arizona! It shares the n ending with Kingston and the first initial with Arizona.The sibset sounds like a family that loves travel and adventure to me =)
Kingston, Arizona and Aspen
Would Georgia be an option? With the sibset, it would read as a place name, but it’s also a classic? Kingston, Arizona and Georgia. Or Dakota? A little edgier, but pretty – Kingston, Arizona and Dakota.
Getting off of the location names, Ember is lovely, but I do think she would have the battle against Amber a lot of the time. I wonder how you’d feel about Sequoia? I met a woman in her 20s with the name and it was a stunner. I’m a sucker for tree names (part of why I love Aspen) and it kind of suggests a location without being a location name. It also has the Q you like without overlapping your nephew’s name. I like that it ends with an A like Arizona too!
Kingston, Arizona and Sequoia
How would you feel about Indigo, nn Indy? I think the nickname makes it adventurous because of the Indiana Jones association.
Kingston, Arizona and Indigo
Or maybe another nature name, Aurora nn Rory
Kingston, Arizona and Aurora
Good luck! Can’t wait to see what you choose!
That’s so funny that you suggested Georgia, because I know a Kingston and a Georgia in the same sibset. They recently had a 3rd baby, and now it’s Kingston, Georgia and Daisy. I love it!
This made me think of Pemberly after Mr. Darcy’s estate which I guess would make it a place name albeit fictional. It would allow you to nick name her Ember. Congrats and good luck!
I’ve heard Sunny used as a nickname for Susannah, which I think is a pretty and underused name. Also for Sophia, via the Russian nickname Sonya.
I did like the suggestion of Aspen for Penny, too, even though it is a place name.
I think Ember would fit well in your family. It’s true it might be confused with Amber, but the City of Ember books might help people read the name right.
Yep, I like Sunny for Susan!
I like Sonya too, in Australia it is a familiar (though dated) stand alone name. Sonya tends to get S-oh-n as the nn so sonny (rhymes with johnny) would work.
Avalon? It’s a place name – sort of – shares Kingston’s ‘n’ ending and Arizona’s ‘A’ beginning, and I’m pretty sure there aren’t any well-known television characters with the name!
Oh some of the other comments have good ideas- I love Aspen/Penny. Quintana is cute, and I would also suggest Quincy. They sort of feminine Quinn and would differentiate from your nephew.
Good luck!
I was coming to recommend Summer, which is an established name (unlike Sunday, which I really like here) and which could in a pinch end up being Sunny if it is a natural fit for the baby.
I like Aurora which some people offered, although Aurora and Arizona already seem to twist my tongue.
I wonder if you would like Zara or Sienna which seem to fit with your other kids.
I don’t love Gray, if I saw your sibling set and was told Kingston was a boy and Arizona was a girl, I would assume Gray was a boy, that shouldn’t cause you not to use it, because that will last approximately 12 seconds on a first impression, but I would imagine she will have to declare herself a girl/woman throughout her life.
My first thought was Summer too…similar sound to Sunday, but more established as a name. And one I really like = ).
I love the suggestions of Quintana, Sequoia and Indigo! I like Grey, but not as much in this sibset. Honor is my favorite out of your choices and while the sounds are soft, the image it conveys is not. And Ember is pretty too, although I would probably avoid if you’re going to be annoyed when it’s mistaken for Amber.
My husband and I are about to start trying for number two and I’m kind of hung up on Artemis if we have a girl. (Which is hilarious since I totally vetoed Aristotle for our first with the objection “We’re not Greek!”) But Artemis! Such a great name. Maybe too much “A” with a sister named Arizona.
Other names I like that you might like:
Athena, Demeter, Isis, Juno (on a goddess kick, I guess)
Arden
Saffron
Magnolia
Marigold
Sparrow
Paloma
Hyacinth
Lantana (if Quintana doesn’t do it for you, maybe a Lana or Lainey will)
Oh Arden, yes that seems right. And Sparrow made me think of Wren- which I try to foist onto every person I know.
Holy Guacamole, I just realized how long I’ve been reading this blog! This post made me think of the post about the sibling to Holiday and when I searched for it, I read it FIVE YEARS ago!! Wow, I’m old. Funny, Holiday’s middle name was Phoenix.
If I was you, I’d read https://www.swistle.com/babynames/2010/06/16/baby-boy-or-girl-sibling-to-holiday-phoenix/ for inspiration. Swistle suggested Epiphany which may work for you here.
Kingston, Arizona, and …
– Calypso
– Sienna
– Brynn
– Soleil
– Poppy
– Holiday
Love Penny. Are there other ways to get to it? Petunia? Or names that don’t start with P, like Apolline? Or Eponine?
Pennsylvania?
I have a friend with a daughter named Emerald and I think it is so lovely! Kingston, Arizona and Emerald. I also have a friend with a daughter named Tuesday (so I think Sunday isn’t too far out there!) But it might depend on your location, we live in hipster Seattle haha.
Other suggestions:
Liberty
Blaise/Blaze
Lincoln
Emerald
Verity (nn Vera if you wanted)
Elodie
I do love Ember!!
From your list, I love Sunday – I don’t think it’s any further from an “normal” name than Arizona.
I also love the suggestion of Aspen, nn Penny.
If you like Sheri’s suggestion of Indigo, nn Indy, you should just be aware that in the children’s magazines Highlights and High Five there is a series of stories about siblings, Tex, Indy, and Arizona. Not a deal breaker, I wouldn’t think, but just know that Indy and Arizona are already together in popular culture :)
Ember sounds like the perfect name for this girl, so I hesitate to suggest anything else. Would you consider the name Honora instead of Honor? Nickname possibilities include Honey (which sounds like it would appeal) and Nora. Sage, Juniper, Ocean, and Brooke are nature names that fit with the other kids’ names, without being place names.
Oh, Juniper!! What a FANTASTIC suggestion for this sibset.
I agree, Juniper for the win! :)
I love Ember the most from your list with the sibset! I also really like Penny (but totally get that you don’t want a nickname as an official name) and Quinn, I think all three of these are totally usable.
Personally, I had made very strong “celebrity baby name” connections to the names Honor (Jessica Alba’s daughter) and Sunday (Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban’s daughter). I think Sunday nn Sunny is pretty cute though and wouldn’t avoid using it for this reason alone. I’m less of a fan of Honor, but that’s just my personal tastes.
Gray reads very masculine to me, but I wouldn’t worry about the Grey’s Anatomy connection as it is spelled differently. One of the suggestions that’s been mention a few times here, Blaze/Blaise, also reads very masculine to me. I’d only use these as boy names.
A few others that might fit in with your style and sibset: Cambrie, Linden, Averil, Coral / Coralie.
My favorite for you is Ember. I wouldn’t get it mixed up with Amber.
For Penny, I would have also suggested Penrose, as someone above did.
I love both Ember & Sunday from your list. I see your concern with Ember but it would only be when introducing her the first time or quickly. It also depends where you live. Accents make even very very common names come out wrong (Jenn living in NC I get called Gin all the time- hello Jennifer is the most common name there is). Just to say don’t count it out. Anyone reading it will get it. And I definitely say Amber & Ember differently.
Ember and Sunday don’t sound like names to me. And Gray sound like a boy’s name, especially since your other daughter has a name that is more feminine. I would suggest Grace, Penny or Nora.
How about Sonnet?
Has the nn Sunny bonus, plus the -on- bonus (which I like too! I’d go for Honor on your list)
Monet? Shares the -ay ending of Sunday and Gray you like, plus the -on- bonus again :-)
Not matching any of your preferred names, but I thought Kingston, Arizona & Contessa (nn Tess?) would sound rather grand!
I know a little girl named Sedona, but that might be a bit much together with Arizona.
I love the suggestion of Sequoia with Kingston and Arizona. I live in the redwoods and here, Sequoia is a boy’s name, although it would totally work on a girl too. Sequoia has an equally “powerful” sound as Kingston and Arizona, so I think it just fits right in.
Since Kingston and Arizona are such “big” names, I feel personally hesitant to go with a more “subtle”, quiet name like Honor, Haven, Aspen, Gray.
Quinn could work. I love the suggestion of Quintana. My first association was the Mexican state Quintana Roo, so it might be another place name. But it’s good to know that it means “The fifth (daughter)”, so maybe not for the third?
Ember is a good one. If you’re ok correcting people that it’s not Amber, I’d say go for it!
Penny feels a bit like a stylistic outlier to me.
If you like Sunny as a nickname, you could look for other names that might get you there. I have eg. Sunniva / Sunneva (pronounced Soon-EE-vah) on my own list, which is a Nordic name and means “Gift of God / the Sun”. It might be tricky to pronounce for Americans, though.
As for TV series or movie associations, I’d only take those shows into account that you think might actually stick around in people’s memories / consciousness for decades to come. I don’t know if babies born today will reference Grey’s Anatomy. Their parents might, but would that be an issue? Everyone talks about a show when it just came out (like 50 Shades right now), but chances are it might be forgotten in less than 5 years. So, I wouldn’t rule out a name you love just because of a show.. UNLESS it bothers you a lot and you think people will be remembering this show for a long time.
Other “fiery” names:
Seraphina / Seraphine
Sapphire
Sierra
Savanna(h)
Zora
Please let us know how you decide :)
Hello. I don’t have any new suggestions for you (the other comments are great!), but I might be able to offer an anecdotal warning. I think the name Ember is really cool and it would fit in with your other kids’ names really well. BUT, if you truly HATE the name Amber, I would probably caution you against it. I named my daughter Pella, knowing perfectly well that people would be confused upon first hearing it and assume it was Bella, Stella, Ella, or some other -ella name. I love her name and so I didn’t/don’t care. And normally it isn’t a big deal–when someone is first introduced to my daughter they are usually confused and I have to explain that it’s Pella-with-a-P–but after the first encounter the problem is resolved. I’m not overly fond of Bella, Ella, or Stella, but I don’t HATE those names. If I did, it might bother me more. And last weekend on Pella’s second birthday, the bakery wrote the wrong name (Ella) on her cake, even though I carefully spelled her name (“P as in Paul, E as in Echo, …”) to the order-taker at the bakery THREE times. I don’t particularly care about these things, but if you’re going to be super-offended by people calling the baby Amber, it might be a good idea to choose something else.
I second this. If you don’t like Amber, I’d steer clear of Ember–they indeed sound very similar.
Thirding it. I love the look of Ember, but I actually pronounce Ember and Amber very similarly, and I’ve heard that done quite a bit actually. Growing up an Amber I knew used to complain that people called her “Ember” Might be regional, but if it will really bother you, I’d recommend steering clear.
Of the listed names, I like Honor the best especially given the other siblings names. I think of Honor as a strong positive concept, so I don’t see it as a soft name at all.
Gray seems like a name for a boy, especially since it seems to go with Kingston more than with Arizona.
It would be unisex, but what about naming her Spencer and calling her Penny?
Otherwise, I love the suggestion of Juniper.
What about Emberly?
When I first read your childrens’ names, I thought they were both boys for a minute, so I would probably steer away from Gray or Quinn, which both read masculine to me. If I read about three siblings, Kingston, Arizona, and Gray, I’d probably assume boy/girl/boy or maybe all boys. But Kingston, Arizona, and Quinley sounds like a boy and two girls to my ear.
Kingston and Arizona evoke the Southwest to me. What about:
Juniper
Paloma
Verbena
Mariposa
I love Ember and Sunday from your list. I’m also surprised your husband thinks Sunday is not in name territory. Doesn’t seem any more “out there” than Arizona. I also love that someone thought of the “hot” connection all the names would share if you decided to go with Ember.
Really liking the suggestions of Indigo and Juniper.
What about…
Lake
Luna
Marlowe (nn Mars…also a “hot” connection)
If you love Ember, what about Ebony?
Kingston, Arizona and Ebony. Ebony Aspen maybe? Plus as a bonus it has the letters “on” in it as well.
I also like the suggestions of Penrose, Emerald and Indie. Good luck.
I like ember, holiday or juniper best for you.
Andromeda
I also knew someone named Sunsarah or Sunserra. That could be a nickname to Sunny.
Okay, if you like Aspen and Ember… do you like Eden? Kingston, Arizona, and Eden.
If you like Sunny, do you like Sonora? It comes with the nickname of Nora, too! Kingston, Arizona, and Sonora.
It’s difficult not to present you with place names (because, hey, they’re cool, and you’ve got a good thing going here). How does Castella strike you? It’s in California up in the mountains. Kingston, Arizona, and Castella.
Shasta might also catch your fancy. Kingston, Arizona, and Shasta.
Someone mentioned above the name Arden. It’s a place name… only it’s fictional. Shakespeare coined it. Kingston, Arizona, and Arden.
There’s always Arcadia (nickname of Cady). Kingston, Arizona, and Arcadia.
Oooh! Do you like Catalina?! It’s an island of off the California coast. Kingston, Arizona, and Catalina.
Ember and Aspen feel like winners to me as well. Best wishes as you welcome your new daughter!
I forgot to point out that Sonora has the ‘on’ sound!
Sonora makes me think of Sonata and Minuet.
I love the name Honor and don’t think it soft. I think it is a great name to inspire too. And I would worry more about a child named Sunny not having a a “sunny” personality than a child not being “honorable”. However, I do like the suggestions of Avalon and Sonora to get you to the “on” connection. In fact, Avalon is one of my guilty pleasure names.
I agree with your concerns about the other names on your list.
Ember will be mistaken for Amber which only matters if it will bother you. I do like Emerald as an alternative to Ember.
Penny seems insufficient alone but Aspen is a great choice for a name that gets you to the nickname Penny.
I do like Gray (it doesn’t bring to mind Grey’s Anatomy at all ) but it seems incomplete next to Kingston and Arizona. What about Gracelyn with the nickname Gray?
The risk of offending a sibling or hurting a nephew by using the same name is not one I would take. Even the use of a similar like Quintana seems like poaching. (I wanted to name my son after my Dad but would not use Daniel after my sister had named a daughter Danielle.)
With Kingston and Arizona, I also like:
Clementine
Evening
Laurel
Celeste
Skylar
Zephyr
Blaze and Gray definitely read Boy to me.
Ember is lovely, but I do think it will be mistaken for Amber a lot.
How about:
Sienna
River (love this for you!)
Prairie
Acadia
Primrose
Henna
Starling
Azalea
Dawn
I love the suggestions of Sonnet, Honora, Juniper and Sapphire for you! Especially Sonnet nn Sunny.
My first thought was Indiana, nickname Indy, but you said you don’t want another place name. Perhaps Indigo? I like that it has the same O sound as Arizona.
I agree Honor seems a bit off with the other names. A bit too soft and without the same wow factor as Kingston & Arizona. Maybe some other, less common, virtue names? Verity is one of my favorites.
For long names for Penny, maybe Independence? Penrose, Spencer, Alpin? Peregrine is probably most commonly shortened to Perry, but I don’t think Penny is too much of a stretch. Or perhaps something like Peony instead?
I agree with your assessment of Ember. I once considered it & everyone I talked to about the name thought I was saying Amber.
If you like Quinn, maybe you’d also like Gwen/Guin? I think something like Guinevere has the same kind of wow factor as your other names.
If you like the idea of Sunny as a nickname, I think any of the “son” names being used for girls could get you to Sunny. You could even adjust the spelling if you wanted. Addison, Madison, etc. seem a little boring for you. But perhaps there are some out there that you would like. Or, you could do something like Sonnet maybe? Or something with “sun” in the meaning with Sunny as the nickname-Soleil, Soledad, Marisol
Other suggestions, Cedar, Juniper, Phaedra, Clementine, Aurora, Avalon
What a great set of names! First, I know two real non celeb ladies named Sunday (one is a chemestry professor, the other a teacher) so to me it is more mainstream than Arizona. Its my favorite of your list.
I agree with the poster above: Kingston and Arizona are powerful names, so while I like Gray, Honor and Penny, they seem pale compaired to your other kids names.
Your kids names read either “adventure” or “cowboy/girl” to me. Other options that evoke stamped passports without being a place name:
Holiday
Sojourner (love it and Sunny would be a reasonable nn)
Summit
Saphira
Cascade
Antigone (great nn Tig)
Aerial
And a little more western/cowgirl:
Liberty
Independence
Cadence
Shilo
Sundance
Clementine
Amaryllis
Rainey
You must let us know what you pick!
Ooo, I love the suggestion of Shiloh!
We met an 8 year old Ember yesterday. I imagine the name might get mistaken for Amber, but I don’t personally think that’s a deal breaker, if you love the name.
Meant to mention this before–as another mark against Honor, note that Kingston is also a celebrity baby name (oldest son of Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani). Not a dealbreaker, and perhaps not as obvious as if you’d named two daughters Shiloh and Suri, but a person like me would notice and wonder whether it was by design!
You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for the feedback. I am showing these to my husband now. There’s so many suggestions we like. many like indigo, primrose and aspen we have actually considered and I’m so glad Sunday was well received! Maybe I can convince him (: I am due in a week and I will be sure to come back and post the chosen name!
Has anyone suggested Pente (Greek word for five) as a long form for Penny? I saw someone else make the “five” connection with Quinn, and I think this works as well.
I forget a suggestion: Cayenne or Cayanne.
I know a Sunday and she is drop dead gorgeous, sweet, artistic, and smart. So I like the name. :) I have a friend with a baby named Ember, and I always always always think of Amber. So similar.
I have heard too many inappropriate jokes surrounding the name Honour to consider it.
I love Tuesday and don’t think it’s any more unusual than Arizona. I like Ember but agree Amber will be a frequent mistake. I think the above suggestion of Emberly is a good way to fix that.
Other ideas: Juno, Zenith, Brindel, Calypso, Athena, Ridley, Tempest, Ebony, Celeste
I think with siblings Kingston and Arizona, there are two ways you could go with naming little sister:
1. Place names that aren’t so obviously place names
– Madison, Sydney, Marin, Charlotte, Dakota, Savannah, Ellis, Catalina, Isla, Cheyenne… perhaps there are others that have meaning to you
2. Other noun names, especially those that evoke a sense of place
– Violet, Felicity, Sage, Sky(e), Willow, Linden, Ruby, Jasmine, Melody, June or Juniper, Harley, Summer, Bay, Clementine, Brooke, Marina
From your list, I like Ember or Honor best. I like the nickname Sunny, but not Sunday as a given name. Perhaps Sunshine, Peyson or Sonora. Actually, I think Sonora is absolutely perfect for you.
One more personal data point: I briefly worked with a woman named Ember (in her late 20’s or early 30’s probably), and it never occurred to me that she could be confused for Amber. But that might depend on your local regional accent. Assuming you live in the USA, in the northern Midwest, “A” is much more nasal/stressed than “E” so they sound pretty different. In more Southern states, I imagine they’re more similar.
Thank you all again! She was born today and we’ve named her Harlow Sage (: loved reading through these comments!
Congratulations!
Congratulations!! Love the name!
Congratulations! Great fit.
Anything with Gray. Gray by itself, Grayer, Grayson, Graysen, Gracyn, Gracen. I love anything with Gray! I honestly think Grayer fits really well with Arizona and Kingston. Great sibling trio!
I love Grey’s Anatomy, but remember that it won’t be around forever. I don’t think you should worry about it. I also didn’t think of the show when I first read your suggestion of Gray, probably because of the spelling.
Quinn has always been a favorite girl name of mine. Beautiful name!