Baby Naming Issue: Are Otto and Margot Too Much -o for One Family?

Dear Swistle,

I’m newly pregnant with my first baby and my husband and I are discussing names and would love your feedback. My husband is fond of vetoing names, but rarely offers any suggestions. He LOVES the name Otto for a boy. always has. I’m fine with Otto. I preferr other names, but given my husband’s enthusiasm, I can accept it.

In terms of girls’ names that go with Otto (assuming we have a boy/girl sib set), we’ve reached an impasse. I have always loved the name Margot. My aunt had a friend with the name and I remember thinking how unique and chic it sounded. My mother-in-law’s name is Margaret, so there’s a bit of a nod there. Also, a good friend of mine is named Maura with nickname Mo and I would love to use that nickname for Margot. My husband likes the name but not with Otto.

Do you think Otto and Margot are too much “o” for one family? Stylistically do they mesh? Do you have other suggestions for girl names that go with Otto?

The baby’s surname is Swedish, starts with an E and is pronounced “ayng-strom”. We live in the San Francisco bay area where anything goes and we prefer names that are old, and unique but familiar.

My husband likes Clara (I like but Claire is popular and it kind of reminds me of Jenna to Jennifer in terms of being a take off of a popular name) and Alice (will be too popular, I think). I like Vivian (we have friends and family with the name so can’t use it), Josephine, Violet, Francis, Iris and Adele (none of which my husband likes). We absolutely can’t have an E name since we both have E names and with the surname do not want or need any more.

Your thought on Margot and Otto and any other suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Erin

 

My first thought is that the scale seems very evenly balanced here: your husband has long loved the name Otto, and you like it well enough; you have long loved the name Margot, and he likes it well enough. If the two of you decide that you don’t want to use both names, I suggest using the first baby as the tie-breaker: if you have a girl, you use Margot and forgo Otto; if you have a boy, you use Otto and forgo Margot. The worst, I think, would be to give up the name Margot because of wanting to use Otto later—and then have only girls.

But I would like to urge you to consider using both names and not worrying about the matched endings. If the two names sound definitely BAD together to your husband, all the urging in the world isn’t going to change that. But perhaps it’s more of a feeling that OTHER people will think it’s not a good idea, or a feeling that it breaks a rule to have matched endings. The matched endings DO catch my attention, but not in a negative way. And I think the two names are very well coordinated, stylistically.

Another possibility, depending on how you feel about your mother-in-law, is to name a daughter Margaret but call her Margo and Mo as nicknames. I think Otto and Margaret are a smashing pair of sibling names, and I find nickname issues far less concerning than given-name issues.

Are you hoping to have more than two children? If so, another possibility is to take a bit of a gamble: use Otto or Margot for the first baby, then use the second baby as a spacer, and then use the remaining name for the next eligible baby. That is, if you have Otto, Alice, and Margot, the matched sounds of -o and -ot are less obvious. Otto, Alice, Quentin, and Margot is even less obvious.

If the decision is to use only Otto OR Margot, perhaps the other name can be used for another child’s middle name.

For another girl name to go with Otto, I suggest Celeste. It has some of the sound of names such as Alice, Frances, and Iris, and I think it falls into the category of “chic”: a different sort of chic than Margot, but still chic.

I’d also suggest Meredith. Stylish, and underused but familiar.

Or Fiona, which has the -fi- and the long-O of Josephine.

Instead of Clara, I’d suggest Cora.

I’d put strong support behind Alice from your husband’s list: Otto and Alice is so charming to me.

I’d suggest also thinking ahead to brother names for Otto and sister names for Margot. This too may help decide between the two names, if you find one task more difficult than the other.

35 thoughts on “Baby Naming Issue: Are Otto and Margot Too Much -o for One Family?

  1. Shannon

    Is one of you actually against using these two names together, or is this just a theoretical objection? If the latter, in case this helps, as a matter of personal tastes neither name is my style individually, but I happen to think they sound REALLY cool together as a sibset! The tie-together is subtle because it isn’t obvious on paper, but clear when the names are spoken aloud.

    I may be disagreeing with Swistle here, which rarely happens, but I really hope you don’t NOT use either name for this reason!

    Reply
  2. Shannon

    Oh wait, I’m not disagreeing with Swistle after all. So then, count me as a second vote in favor of using them together (if possible)!

    Reply
  3. Jessemy

    Agree with using the names you like! Over the years, sib names are placed together less and less, so if the prospect of signing a holiday card with Margot and Otto for fifteen years is do-able, I think you’re good.

    Reply
  4. Samantha

    I….wouldn’t use those together. Otto and Margot make me think of otto and Margot frank, father and sister of Anne Frank. Not that it’s a bad associatioj, but it is a very sad one.

    Reply
      1. Shannon

        Oops. I wonder if this is why the pair sounded so striking to me? I remembered Otto Frank, but had forgotten the mother was Margot.

        Reply
        1. Jemima

          Seeing this late, but just thought I’d pop in to let you know that it’s actually Anne’s older sister who’s called Margot :)
          I love both names!

          Reply
  5. Christine

    I wouldn’t use them both, I don’t think. I would notice the tie-in if another family used them, but it wouldn’t bother me. It’s not like you’re naming kids Brendan and Brandon where you’re sure to screw up calling one or the other all the time. Plus if you have more than two, it won’t be as obvious.

    Reply
  6. Carmen

    I don’t think Otto and Margot are too much “o” for one family. If anecdotal evidence helps to sway you, I have friends with 4 kids and they all have the same ending: Hannah, Leah, Noah, Lukah (with a bonus cousin Karah). It’s noticeable, for sure, but not horribly startling, I don’t think.

    Reply
    1. British American

      I have similar friends. One family has three kids and all their names end in the “ah” sound. Another family has 6 kids and the 4 girls all have names ending in the “ee” sound. (Although one of them it’s the nickname that ends in the sound.) Both families decided to go with the pattern on purpose. So I don’t see why you couldn’t have two names ending in “oh”. If you ever have a 3rd kid, then you might wonder if you have to have another “oh” ending too.

      I agree that you should go with either Otto or Margot this time, if you can agree on that. Sounds like your husband doesn’t wan to use Margot because he thinks it would rule out Otto. Whilst it is good to think ahead, you don’t want to miss out on Margot and then end up with only daughters…never getting a chance to use Otto anyway.

      I do really like the suggestion of Margaret with the nickname of Margot too.

      Reply
    2. Heather

      This is such a common sibset pattern. Where all the names end the same! I don’t hate it. But I wouldn’t do it to my own children. I do love Otto and Margot together. I think it helps that the ending spelling is different.

      My mom accidently named all of us ending in -r. So then we added our pups to the problem:
      Heather, Alexander (exclusively Alex), and Taylor. Pups: Cooper and Piper

      My boyfriend and all of his brother end in -n (and so does their last name… I shake my head at this daily).
      Ryan, Stephen, Kevin, Jason, and Clinton. With a 3 sylable ends in -son last name! (DOH!)

      Reply
  7. leah

    I wouldn’t use them together myself. May I suggest Otis? My son has had grown up w/ a friend by that name and it’s awesome!

    Reply
  8. A

    I love swistle’s idea of Otto and Margaret but the extra lovely thing about Margaret is it has so many nicknames, including Greta. Otto and Greta? Adorable! Plus it fits perfectly into the category of older, yet unique and familiar :)

    Reply
  9. Kerry

    I am on team don’t worry about too much -o.

    My daughters are May and Ann. I spent a lot of my second pregnancy worrying about whether I could enunciate the d in “and” enough so that I wouldn’t be saying May an’ Ann, whether I could force OTHER people to enunciate the d, whether Ann and May sounded like “anime.” But it was one of those worries that just kind of faded into the background after the baby was born. I definitely don’t think its worth giving up a beloved name over.

    Reply
  10. Melody

    I think both names are lovely, underused, and sound fine together. However, I feel compelled to chime in and say that when I saw Otto and Margot together, I IMMEDIATELY thought of Anne Frank’s father and sister. I would just be aware that other people might have that first association.

    Reply
  11. eclare

    Ooh, I love that [hypothetical] sibset!!! Otto and Margot is amazing.

    If you forego one or the other, though, I vote for:
    Otto and Clara
    Otto and Alice
    Francis and Margot
    Oscar and Margot

    Or of course you could get “all-of-a-kind.”
    Otto and Francis
    Otto and Oscar
    Otto and Frederic
    Otto and Edmund
    Margot and Clara
    Margot and Vivian
    Vivian and Alice
    Alice and Clara
    Clara and Frances

    Reply
  12. Kelsey d

    I personally think both the names go together well. I agree with swistle, it seems to work out good, you both like each other’s names well enough so each of you get a favourite. I would use them if you get an opportunity to.

    Other names I like:

    I LOVE the suggestion of Fiona.
    Greta
    Frieda/Freda

    What about Arlo?? Love love love this name. Oscar and Oliver are also similar. Although I do really love Otto.

    Oswald nn Ozzy or Oz
    Walter
    Frederick nn Fritz (how great is that nn??)

    Good luck and keep us posted!!

    Reply
  13. Squirrel Bait

    I like Otto and Margot together and did not make the Anne Frank connection. The repeated sound would probably only bug me if the names rhymed, which these two do not.

    I like Margaret for its under-use and vast nickname potential (Maggie! Greta! PEG!), but I don’t think alternatives are necessary here.

    I also think Alice is ADORABLE, and “popular” names aren’t as common as they used to be, as Swistle has helpfully described in detail. (There really is no Jennifer anymore!) Otto and Alice has a similar level of charm as Otto and Margot, although I do think Margot and Alice don’t work together quite as well stylistically.

    Good luck! Let us know what you decide!

    Reply
  14. Ash

    A high school friend named her sons Otto and Abbott if that gives you a second alternate name. I’m not a fan of the two together but they don’t sound horrible. I pretty much agree with all the advice Swistle gave you so I don’t have much to add other than I also like Alice with Otto.

    Reply
  15. Magnolia

    I would happily use Otto and Margot together. I don’t think they are too similar for a sibset. Also, these are your favorite names – you should go for them!
    From Swistle’s suggestions I love Meredith, Alice and Cora.
    Here are some more alternatives:
    – Matilda (nn: Tilly, Tilda, Mattie)
    – Sylvia (nn: Sylvie, Sissi)
    – Della
    – Cecilia
    – June
    – Cornelia (nn: Nellie, Lia, Coco)
    – Linnea
    – Nina

    Reply
  16. Anon

    RE: Anne Frank. They were a German and German speaking family (prior to living in the Netherlands), so Margot Frank’s name was most likely pronounced phonetically with the spoken “t.” It sounds something like Margit in normal conversation. On a daily basis, I don’t think most people would make the connection. FWIW, I think Margo is beautiful.

    Reply
  17. Brooke

    Obviously, this doesn’t seem your style, but just in case you’re open to even more suggestions… I know a family with three teens with your last name and they are all gender neutral surname names. It honestly just works and sounds super cool.

    Reply
  18. Kathleen

    To me there is not only the sound connection of “o”, but also the visual “ot” spelling in both Otto and Margot. Have you considered the spelling of Margaux? I myself prefer this spelling and think that they look great together. Otto and Margaux. Either way they are both great names and congratulations!

    Reply
  19. Jd

    I think Margot and Otto are fine. Not ideal but if you love the names I wouldn’t sweat it. I like the Margeaux and Otis suggestions. I’d also like to add Monica- Mo nickname but no “o” ending.

    I think picking a second boy/girl name might help. Plus after naming one baby you might change your mind or only have one gender.

    Reply
  20. Kay

    I think Otto and Margot are great together, and certainly not too much “o”. Combined with the surname it does give a very “Euro” feeling to the family– I would wonder if one parent was German or Scandinavian, even though I think both Otto and Margot are quite out of style for babies and children in Germany…neither ranks in the top 300, and I remember someone I know in Germany awhile ago mentioning Otto being hard to picture on a baby. Maybe more like a 1930s throwback European feeling? Not a bad thing. But a very “vintage” vibe.

    I definitely didn’t think of the Frank family, not at first, and also because yes, as a previous commenter mentioned, Margot Frank’s name was pronounced “Mar-git”. It wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me.

    I do think Margaret has a lot of advantages over Margot though…not just that it offers more flexibility (Margo/Margot, Greta, Gretchen for nicknames), but I also think it sounds much better with your surname… Have you tried saying Margot “Ayng-strom” out loud a few time? I find it slightly hard to get from the “go” ending into the “ayng” elegantly. The sharp “to” ending of Otto negates the issue, and the “et” ending of Margaret also flows really well into “ayng”. Just a minor point!

    Please do update us! Good luck.

    Reply
  21. Andrea

    I’d use them both. It is so hard to find names that both spouses are okay with that if you find one, you should just be grateful. :) Besides that, they are lovely names and only name nerds worry overmuch about “sibsets.” Congrats on your little one!!!

    Reply
  22. Kim C

    Otto and Margot sound great together! Not too much ‘o’ at all!

    Love the names and I think you should just go for it!

    Good luck!

    Reply
  23. Kim C

    I have heard of brothers named Otto and Hugo before too and thought they sounded fantastic together!

    Emil and Felix would be great options for a brother!

    What about Adeline, Adelaide or Matilda for a girl? Marguerite? Love Otto and Adeline together! Otto and Addie.

    Another palindrome? Otto and Hannah!

    Reply
  24. Candice

    I agree that Otto and Margot are great together!
    I also like the Margaux spelling, but I personally think the Margot spelling looks better with Otto.

    Reply
  25. Kim

    I say go for the names you love. By the time the second baby rolls around, you’ll get a better idea if using the second name feels right to you. Or you may end up with children of the same sex, and it won’t be an issue.

    Reply
    1. Kate

      I have an Oscar and a Margaux. We wanted to avoid too many O’s, which is one of the reasons we opted for this spelling of Margaux / Margot. Food for thought!

      Reply

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