C. writes:
My husband and I are expecting a baby girl in February. We have the name Emeline picked out, in fact it’s the only name in the running really. But what I’ve been wondering is if it’s too matchy with my 1 year old daughters name, Adelaide. Maybe I’m just over-analyzing it, but when I was comparing the names syllable by syllable (of which they each have three, another way in which they ‘match’) they seem to have a lot of similarities.
Ad uh layd
Em uh liynSo – Is it too much? Thanks in advance for your help!
Oh, we also plan on having other children, would the matchyness limit our choices quite a bit for names later on?
To me it sounds like a very nice coordinated fit. The main similarity, I think, is the three syllables with the emphasis on the first syllable. Sound-wise, they share an “uh-l” in the middle, but otherwise have nice differences: different starting/ending vowel sounds and different starting/ending consonants. It tempts me to think of other very nice coordinated fits (Genevieve, Meredith, Josephine, Vivian, Juliet, Lorelei, Cecily, Natalie, Lydia, Rosemary…) for future sisters. And yet I think they’d be fine without such coordination: Adelaide, Emeline, and Sophia. Adelaide, Emeline, and Clara. Adelaide, Emeline, and Violet. Adelaide, Emeline, and Charlotte. Adelaide, Emeline, and Louisa. Adelaide, Emeline, and Cordelia. Adelaide, Emeline, and Felicity. Adelaide, Emeline, and Camilla.
I think they’re great together. Nice work!
What does everyone else think?
Oh my gosh, I think Adelaide & Emeline are perfect together!
I know someone who has two daughters named Emmaline and Adelaide. Nice pair. The rhythm of the names is similar but they sound quite different.
Hmm. When I first read this I thought it was waaay too close, but I think thats because I was saying it Ada-LAID (like laid down) and Emma-LINE. AH da laid and EM a lyn is quite nice.
I think the names are lovely together. I named all four of my daughters 3-syllable names with the same amount of “matchiness” and have gotten countless compliments over the years. And my girls like having similar names.
Lovely! And I don’t think you’ll have problems with a third child this way, either…
I don’t think Adelaide and Emeline are too similar at all. They make a lovely pair.
I think that they are a beautiful sibset. :D. Love them both, and together.
Adelaide and Emeline are beautiful names and they seem perfectly coordinated to me! Similar enough but not too matchy! Congratulations on your baby girl!
I’m with everyone else here. Go for it.
I think they go well together but as a style puts you in turn of the century fashion…I imagine them as a pair of suffragette sisters with sisters at home named Clara and Louisa (Swistle suggestions that have a similar popularity curve).
I agree with all the posters above me: Adelaide and Emeline are great for sisters; they go together pleasantly without being too matchy. Lovely!
One word: Awesome!!!!!
I think they go very well together, with either pronunciation of Emeline.
Lovely names! Although, I’ll mention that as a mother of an Adeline and an Eleanor, you might end up confusing the names more than you expect. I thought the names we picked were relatively different in sound but we get tripped up over them all the time. It’s a pretty minor problem though ,and definitely not a deal-breaker. Go for it!
I love them! And if you use nicknames (Addy and Emma?) they’re still super cute and a bit more different than the originals, so you won’t get confused between them. My daughter’s name is Sylvia and my best friend’s daughter is Cecilia, so I was always mixing them up when they were together, until my daughter was old enough to talk and started calling Celilia “yaya,” which we all though was cute, it stuck, and it helped us from getting them confused. Long story short – you have great names here and I love them – think about nicknames if you’re worried they’re too matchy.
Thank you, everyone! I’m overwhelmed by the positive reactions. We’re set on Emeline and I’ve already started calling her that. I’ll let you know when it’s official after she’s born. :)
And sorry it took so long to respond, just been busy over the holidays.