Hi Swistle,
I’m due with our third child in 9 days and I am starting to feel the pressure of finding the perfect name. We don’t know if this baby is a boy or a girl yet, but I feel fairly settled on our boy pick. We have two girls, Aila Margaret and Eden Diana. Our last name is H@zen. Margaret and Diana are both family names and I would like to carry on that tradition with using either Grace (my middle name) or Elizabeth. I’m feeling the pressure of continuing with a vowel for baby three, but I also like unique names. I’m struggling, Swistle! This is what we have:
-Violet (not a vowel and too popular?)
-Claire (again, not a vowel, but so girly and classic)
-Ava (way too popular, but I love it) or Ada (husband loves it, but I’m on the fence)
-Mae (I love the simplicity and timelessness of this name)
-Adalyn (okay, but I don’t love it)
-Nora (I love this because it combines both of our mother’s names, but again…not a vowel!)Do I feel settled on any of these? Nope. Sure don’t. Help!! Any other suggestions? Should I just ignore the popularity of Ava and use it? Ignore the vowel rule that I have accidentally created?
For a boy, we are settled on either Sawyer, Isaac, or Abram (middle name Gene). I love them all and know I will know which to use after I meet our son, if it’s a boy.
Thank you for your expertise and advice. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
My best,
Kellyn
(I’m assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that Aila is pronounced like Kayla without the K. If it is instead pronounced like Isla, many of my suggestions will be off.)
From past posts on the topic I know we as a group are split on the “vowel theme” idea: some of us notice it and some of us don’t; I’m in the category that doesn’t notice it. In any case, I am also in the category that thinks it isn’t a theme until you have THREE children in a row with something in common.
From your girl list, I pick Nora. It combines your mothers’ names, and it discontinues the vowel theme by acting as if the actual theme was four-letter names. Aila Margaret, Eden Diana, and Nora Grace.
But if you’re planning more children, I would probably keep away from vowel names AND four-letter names, to avoid backing yourself into a corner for the next child. In that case my next choice is…well, pretty much any name on your list except Adalyn (because you say you don’t love it and because it’s almost a combination of the first two girls’ names) or Ava/Ada (which are just one consonant-sound different from Aila, if I’ve correctly guessed the pronunciation). I don’t think Violet is too popular; I haven’t met a single one yet, though of course this kind of thing varies considerably by location. Claire is lovely. Mae is lovely. Very nice choices, all of them.
If you would find it fun to discuss more options, and if you’re not planning more children, I suggest Iris. Aila, Eden, and Iris. All four letters, all vowel names, all two syllables. More suggestions:
Brynna
Carys
Cleo
Cora
Garnet
Greta
Imogen
Ivy
Jade
June
Kira
Livia
Margo
Maya
Mina
Laine
Maeve
Sloane
If at all possible, release yourself from the pressure of finding “the perfect name.” The parents’ responsibility is to find a good and useful name. Perfection is usually what happens afterward, when the name becomes so bonded to the child that it seems perfect by association.
So, I would notice the all-vowel things. I think it’s a cute, but subtle “theme.” However, I also thing it’s one of the easiest themes to get trapped into. A, E, & I aren’t too bad, and you’d have plenty of names to pick from. Not so much with O & U. So if there is even the smallest chance you’ll have more kids, I’d suggest you ditch the all-vowel thing now, before it does actually start to become a theme.
I am also saying Ay-la for your daughter’s name, so I would eliminate Ava & Ada as too similar. I’d also eliminate Adalyn because it seems like it would have a fairly high chance of being shortened to Ada at some point, especially since you seem only lukewarm about Adalyn anyway.
Violet is very pretty & probably my favorite from your list. No, it’s not a vowel, but it does have a strong “I” sound, which gives each girl their own vowel. It is also not too popular, I personally don’t know any little Violets. I also love Claire and would rank it #2 for you. Perhaps you could switch it to Clare if you wanted to keep the 4-letter thing going? For me, this is a much more subtle “theme” and doesn’t seem like you’d be boxed in quite so much as you would with the vowel theme.
Kind of meh on Mae, I actually like Swistle’s suggestion of Maeve better. I like Nora, and love that it’s an honor name. But your other girls have Firstname + Honormiddle. Would it feel weird for you to switch that up? Or perhaps Nora could be another potential middle?
Despite how much I love Iris, I’ll suggest Lucy, Ruby, Nina, Stella, Rose/Rosa, Chloe, Zoe & Fiona
I’m going to assume you pronounce Aila eye-luh as your love for Ava is so strong (and Ada is also a contender.) Love Maeve and Nora for you. Could you love Olive?
But I say go for Ava if you love it so much. I know people who have chosen top names and haven’t regretted it. It’s a name you’ll say a bajillion times in your life, to love it is essential. And it’s such a classy name. Plus, there’s no way to choose a name that your child may not share with a classmate in the future. I know multiple Cassidys for example, but only one Ava (spelt Eva) under 4yo.
I like Eliza with the siblings’ names if it winds up being a girl but then you have the repeat “z”.
Aila, Eden and Eliza Grace
Aila, Eden and Amery
Your girls name are beautiful, I wanted to suggest the name Odette for you it continues the vowel theme and it’s timeless and beautiful.
I also came across the name Ottilie recently which I think is very cute.
Congrats and Goodluck.
I’m finding that I’m definitely drawn towards short and sweet names for you to match the other girls names. I feel like that overrides finding another vowel name (think if you had theee kids with vowels it’d seem more important to stick but with two names no one would notice if a third didn’t)
What about Esme? This seems like a fabulous fit. Feminine and a bit spunky like the other girls. Only downside is it would be duplicate E.
I really like Mae. It’s short and sweet.
What about Freya? Even though it doesn’t start with a vowel, it is largely made up of vowel sounds so feels similar to other girl names.
What about Vera?? Love this name!!
Other names (just read above comments after I typed these up and almost all my suggestions have already been mentioned!)
June
Stella
Rose
Olive
Flora
Margo
Beth
Ruth
Vienna or Vienne or Vivian
Thea
Pearl
Good luck and keep us posted!!
I like Mae the best – unexpected, short, sweet and feminine like the sibs. Or what about Faye? Or Nina? I don’t think the vowel thing matters unless it would make you really happy to have that pattern.
If you want to stick with the vowel theme, then I think Elsie or Opal (also fits 4-letter) would go well with your other children! If you want to break away from
that, how about Bria or Mabel or Maeve or Willa? They all have soft sounds emphasizing the vowels and I think they would fit well!
Swistle – your last 3 sentences are very well stated and could probably be stuck on your side-bar as perennial advice to all people who write you with naming quandaries.
I like Mae best from your list with Ayla and Eden. It is short and sweet but breaks any expectation of a pattern. Nora would be my second choice … I much prefer the 4 letter, two syllable pattern than the vowel first initial patters as I think it would be easier to find names I love for any subsequent children. I am with your husband that I like Ada more than Ava but either are nice and would work unless you pronounce Ayla with the long a sound
My favorite name in the 4 letter, first initial a vowel pattern is Iris. But if you pronounce Ayla as EYE-La , the names are probably too similar in sound to work. I do like Opal and that fits nicely with pattern. Ella is also a nice option since the beginning sound if very different than Eden.
(BTW, I love the name Eden.)
I love the suggestion of Iris-fits your vintage-contemporary blend and meets the vowel theme of needed. June made me think of Juno, which I love for a girl as well. My own daughter is Una-a fun mini-name that begins with a vowel and also has vintage appeal.
Here are some names I thought fit well for you. Apologies if there are some repeats in here:
Aurora
Thea
Pearl
Willa
June
Autumn
Audra
Elise
Marie
Rose
I like Clare/Claire the most from your list, followed by Violet. I think it’s because they have have a different end sound to your other daughters’ names.
Mae is nice but Mae H@zen together sound a bit repetitive to my ear. Ava and Ada are very similar to Aila and Eden too.
I think Cleo/ Clio is a wonderful suggestion.
Aila, Eden and Clio
What about Noelle or Jenna?
Good luck!
Cara/Kara or Paige perhaps?
Aila, Eden and Cara
Aila, Eden and Paige
I love the name Mae and think it works well with Aila and Eden. I also liked Swistle’s suggestion of Carys, which I think sounds unique (and fits without being another vowel). A previous commenter suggested Freya, which is also so beautiful and unique and sounds perfect with your girls’ names.
If you decide to go with a vowel name, maybe you would consider Ophelia? Ophelia Grace sounds lovely to me, and Aila, Eden and Ophelia sound like a beautiful sibset.
I like the previous suggestions of Iris and Opal, particularly Opal since it has all its own sounds without the repeating long I. And it sounds good with Grace. From your list, I like Nora the best.