Hello there,
I was wondering if you could give us a bit of help with our choices.
We are expecting a baby girl in April ’15.
Surname: Monaghan
EDD: 14/4/15
Other babies: Tristan Thomas (1 year, boy)
For boys we had considered: Humphrey, Tiernan, Jefferson, Beau, Justin
And had quite a few more in the bag!For girls: Jessica, Bethany, Matilda, Gabriella, Nancy, Nella/Nell.
We hope to have definitely 3, and potentially 4.
So we are looking for help with out girls first and middle name.
Jessica is the front runner as have always just adored it, but hesitant due to popularity and not being ‘unique’ enough. The name must be instantly recognisable for others to spell and say but not your everyday.
Kate is grandmothers name that we would like to use and Beau is close to a dear pets name, but aware it is masculine.
Love names out of the ordinary like Pixie, Dixie & Wyatt but am aware of where we live and she would be thought of as weird!
We thought Bethany Kate was amazing, but Jessica Kate just doesn’t have the same ring to it, or does it!?
Thanks for your help!
I think Jessica Kate sounds fine. If something sounds not-quite-right to you, it may be because of the repeating K sound at the end of Jessica and the beginning of Kate. Is yours a family that tends to use first-and-middles; that is, are you likely to call her Jessica Kate? If not, it doesn’t seem like an issue to me. If so, and if it continues to bother you (or if NOT but it continues to bother you), I wonder if you’d like Jessica Jane, or Jessica Rose, or Jessica Joy, or Jessica Lane, or something similar.
A bigger hesitation I have with the name Jessica is that it has passed its peak—and its peak was a considerably high and long one. The name Jessica was in the Top 10 in the U.S. from 1976 until 2000 (and either the 1st or 2nd most popular girl name in the U.S. from 1981 until 1997), and now it is dropping steadily. So my concern is not the popularity per se, but the popularity that is now over. This certainly doesn’t mean you can’t do it: I have peers named Barbara, Susan, and Kathy, even though those were the “mom names” when I was growing up. But when you say you want something that isn’t an everyday sort of name, it makes me think Jessica is not the right name for you.
On the other hand, do you live in the U.S.? If not, all my statistics are meaningless: in another country, the name Jessica might not have reached anywhere near the saturation levels it achieved in the United States.
Bethany is an interesting one to consider. It too had its peak in the U.S. back in the 1980s, and yet that peak was not high (it never got higher than #87) and didn’t last long (it was only in the Top 100 from 1983 until 1988). Because of that, it doesn’t seem as attached to a particular time period as Jessica does. People say “My husband likes the names of our peers, like Jessica and Ashley,” but they don’t add Bethany to that list. It has the same rhythm as Jessica, but I think it’s a much more currently-usable choice. Since you describe the name Bethany Kate as amazing, I’d vote for that.
The name Nancy intrigues me. It was in the Top 10 in the U.S. from 1934 until 1955, which means it is currently a Grandma Name or Great-Grandma Name—in other words, gearing up for its comeback. I’d say its time is not quite here, but such things are difficult to predict: often I don’t know I’m ready to hear a name again until I hear it on a child, and then I’m bowled over and wish I’d thought of it first. And I definitely feel ready to hear the name Sally again, and Sally is a peer of Nancy. It would be a bold choice, but I suspect people would be happy and interested to see it.
In 2013, 50 new U.S. baby girls were named Nella and 8,370 were named Ella. I think this would lead Nella to be mistaken for Ella, but I’m not sure, and it depends how high your tolerance is for correcting people and/or repeating and spelling a name: some people don’t mind a bit and in fact relish the chance to discuss the name a little, and others flinch every time. And of course all this is irrelevant if you are living in a country where the name Nella is widely used and known. In the U.S., it would not meet your preference for an instantly recognizable name. Nell would be familiar, however, if not common; it is also sometimes used as a nickname for Eleanor or Penelope.
Matilda and Gabriella both strike me as good choices, especially with Tristan. I find Matilda Monaghan a bit difficult to say, but not deal-breakingly so.
I think Kate is great with all the choices, and would definitely choose that over Beau—not because Beau is more masculine, which doesn’t bother me with a middle name, but because my own preference would be to use a grandmother’s name before a pet’s name (also to HAVE a grandmother’s name rather than a pet’s name). The middle name position would also be a good place for the names you love but consider too out-there to use.
Let’s have a vote! [Sorry, all the polls seem to be down, and all but this one appear to be actually deleted. I have Paul on it and am trying not to panic.]
What about Jessie Kate. A nod to Jessica, but more spunky and maybe not past its peak?
I like Jessie-Kate as a hyphenated first name. It is a nice variation on Jessica.
yes!
I definitely prefer Kate over Beau in the middle name slot, since if there’s a good name available as an honor name, why not?
I think Jessica Kate sounds okay. If you love Jessica go for it. If you’re US or UK, it will be easily spelled. That said, it was VERY popular (I know a LOT of Jessicas and Jennifers, holla babies of 1981) but it isn’t now.
Meant to add, that said, I kind of love Nancy. I know a Nancy my age, even though it was a “mom” name to me growing up and I love it on her. I think it would be totally charming on spunky on a little girl.
I think Jessica could actually be the perfect name for you…you want something instantly recognizable but not everyday (everyone who met your daughter would know another Jessica, but none of those Jessicas would be in her class), and you say you live somewhere that more unusual names would be considered weird. That makes me guess you aren’t in Manhattan and worrying that the name that was cutting edge two years ago is already too popular. If I were you, I’d go look up what were the most popular names about 30 years before you were born, and see how you’d feel about someone your own age with those names. Do you feel sorry for them because they have an old lady name, or does it seem kind of cool? I think it would seem cool to me, and I know it has seemed cool to me when I’ve met women named Alice or Suzie my own age.
I’m going to guess (based on how you wrote EDD) you’re writing from somewhere in the UK where in 2013, Jessica was #6, Bethany was #77, Nancy was rapidly climbing, & Matilda was #36. I’m pretty sure that here in the US, most responders will aggregate Jessica with Jennifer as having peaked 3 decades ago, so you’ll need to factor that into the comments.
I’m for Kate in the middle for the good family reasons, plus it sounds great with all your choices.
Insightful reply! I actually have also always liked Jessica, although as a 34 year old Canadian, I would never name my kid that because Jessica is definitely now a Mom Name here. But if you like it, why not?
But I also prefer the flow of Bethany Kate over Jessica Kate, and agree that Kate is the best middle name choice. Matilda and Gabriella are also lovely. With that collection of favourite names, I wonder if you’d also like Camille/Camilla, Corinne/Corinna, Amelia, Hailey, Brianne/Brianna, Sabrina, Jemima?
I usually advocate for using the name you love, so I might just go with Jessica, popularity aside (I, too, am assuming you’re not in the U.S. based on how you wrote the due date), but if you want an alternative– I’ve always liked Jessamine/Jessamyn.
From your list, I like Matilda best with Tristan. Tilly is a cute nn. Gabriella is nice, too. Or maybe Penelope (nn Nell).
Oooh! My eyes went right to your comment because my first name is Jessemy. I love it, but Jessamine and Jessamy are far more recognized as standard variants. It is a nice twist on Jessica. It is not overused at all! Jessamine Kate or Jessamy Kate is adorable.
Have you considered Jessamine? It would be a shame to give up on Jessica due to popularity if it’s been a long-time love. But at #3/6 in the UK, that would make me hesitant too. What do you you love about Jessica? Is it the nn Jess? Is it the elegance? I think Jessamine Kate is a wonderful alternative. You can get to Jess or even Minnie.
Bethany Kate is lovely and probably what I would choose in your situation. However, if you love Jessica and are hesitant about the flow of the name with Kate what a hypehnated middle name. Jessica Rose-Kate or Jessica Mary-Kate work well.
I like Renee’s suggestion of Jessamine. What about the shortened version, Jessa?
Jessa is gorgeous! But I would think everyone would think she was called Jessica.
Can’t handle correcting people. I don’t want her to ever have to explain anything, including spelling that she is asked as often as – what is your name.
I should add that “Jessemy” or “Jessamy” requires constant correction, especially on the phone.
I have to admit, the girls’ names you’ve listed are kind of throwing me – I like them all, but they don’t seem to reflect a particular style! Since you’d like to have more children, it seems that Bethany might be the best choice as it could fit with any of your other choices as a future sibling. (I know Bethany isn’t an “old” name, but the “Beth” part of it adds a vintage feel.) Bethany could have a little sister Jessica OR a little sister Matilda, in my opinion. I like Bethany Kate very much! Maybe the coordination of sibling names isn’t a priority of yours, though, in which case I say go with Jessica. It has a very pretty sound – popular for a reason!
Oh if you were to take popularity out of the equation, Jessica is just a beautiful, feminine, fun name. I used to secretly call myself Jessica :D. My own name is Justine, so I thought it was a great coverup name and wanted to be called it.
I am not sure how I would feel if my middle name were a pet’s name. I think…not good.
He was unlike any other pet imaginable haha. But yes, she will not have ever met him so to her he would just be a dog. I take this on the chin :)))
This post made me sit up because I am a Nancy of the 80s. Now, if you aren’t american and Jessica was not the most popular name 30 years ago in your country, my experience may not apply. But as someone growing up with a “mom” name, I disliked it immensely. It was a honor name, so that is the only saving grace. But I disliked having a connection to Nancy Reagan (she was just so OLD!) when I was little. Then in my twenties and in a professional job, everyone expected me to be 30 years older than I was, and we’re often surprised to meet me. It actually got more difficult the older I got. In short, I just never felt like I fit. So my recommendation is to not use a name that is very popular on today’s moms.
All that said, I too am hoping for a return of Nancy! It is a great name, if you are given it while it is in fashion. I am very interested to watch how it goes.
I do t think Bethany is as tied to one generation as Jessica is the US, so that is a great alternative. I know a baby Bethany, and she is called Annie. Hey, Annie Kate is great too!
I love the name Nancy and would think it was so fresh and adorable on a little girl today. It is definitely on our list, should we have another girl someday.
One I have always liked is Jenetta.
My vote is for Nancy! It’s spunky, cute, and will be very on-trend soon!
I LOVE Nancy!
I mistakingly told some friends about liking it and they thought I was crazy. Said Jessica was beautiful and Nancy was too old a name for a baby.
But after your comments I feel better about it!!
I named my daughter Trudy with lots of objections from friends and family, but now that she’s here we can’t imagine calling her anything else! People tell us all the time how nice it is to hear a little girl with the name and often stories of other Trudies in their life. Which is to say, if you love Nancy go for it. You will not regret it and your daughter will be walking in the smiling memory of the Nancies who came before her.
My guess is that this poster is from somewhere in the UK. In which case, I think Jessica would be a fine choice-and likely not a “mom name.” I also think Jessica Kate sounds lovely, even though the flow of Bethany Kate is a wee bit better. I agree it probably has to do with that repeated K sound. Is Kate grandma’s given name? If not, then perhaps you’d like the flow of Jessica Katherine better? The extra syllables of Katherine seems to soften the double K effect for me.
Yes actually, her grandmothers name was actually Mary Katherine. Jessica Katherine is softer that Kate, but i am very fond of Kate :)
Sorry I’m from Ireland, and a fairly rural part at that! So Dixie, Pixie, Wyatt etc just wouldn’t go down well. I’d love to not care, but I have to think that it’s her life and she is the one who will have to explain that her mom should have been born in Texas.
Also interesting, I loved Penelope aswell (but husband not keen).
Yes Tristan Thomas (Thomas is after his late grandfather and Kate for this little girl would be after his late grandmother), so I think it is starting to look like Kate for middle name :)))
I have just loved Jessica for a long time, so I don’t worry about “name regret” with that one. There have been some crackers to come out of pregnancy, that I think of later and wonder what I was thinking.
The ones I have named above are the fairly steady ones that keep coming back. Bethany Kate just sounds so wonderful to my ears when I put them together, but as someone mentioned I must remember that these two names won’t be said as often as Tristan and …..
Since I posted my sister mentioned that there are 2 Matilda’s in her son’s (3) class. That was enough to turn me off it, as the biggest thing I want to avoid is to be part of the ‘wave’ of new popular names, where there are 4 of one in the one class. So Matilda is gone.
Ava, Lily, Grace, Lily-Mae, Ella-Mae, Mae, Olivia, Sophia, Ella are very popular at the moment here.
The merging of two names is very unusual here. Eg. Jessamine/Jessalyn. Not too sure how they would work.
Thanks for all your replies, interesting also about them being ‘mom names’. I never even thought of that.
Nancy Kate Monaghan!!
I’m a little surprised to find that when I try out “Nancy,” envisioning a 1-year-old toddler standing and beginning to take steps, curly hair, drooling a bit, big smile, to my ears it sounds fresh and fun and new. What is THIS? And what is her name? Nancy! NANCY? Pass that little Nancy right OVER to me, pls. I think it works. Nancy in the 80s would be like an Eleanor in the 60s … somewhere between a mom name and a grandma name. But a Nancy NOW? I’m guessing … but I’m guessing Yes.
Ok, Nancy is going down well in this house tonight. One reservation, is there alot of an, nan, an sounds all together with Trist-AN ANd NANcy. Is it a bit of a mouthful?
So cute together though, Tristan & Nancy.
I do think of Jessica as very much a mom name now, and it’s hard to envision it on a baby girl. I think Jessa is more fresh, and Jessa Kate is lovely.
I know a ten-year-old girl (in the states) named Nancy. I first met her when she was five, and she was darling. She’s pulled-together, demure, and sweet. I know several adult Nancys (two grandmothers and a mom), and they are some of my favorite people. A baby Nancy in this age would be distinctive, charming.
My vote is heavily for Nancy Kate, and –no– I don’t think that’s too much AN/NAN for one household. :)
Best wishes as you welcome your daughter!
What about Jesse? A favorite of mine.
I know a 1 year old Nancy here in Canada. Its a little shocking on a baby, but she’s growing into it nicely. I think it will pick up in popularity, so if you love it, use it now before it jumps up the chart!
I think Nancy is ready for a comeback. Imagine all of the excellent nick names- Nan, Nanna etc.
I also think you have the benefit of being a little ahead of the curve here. “Ava” sounds like a refreshing name on a 30 year old because it’s a little ahead of the popularity curve. I think Nancy on a child born in 2015 would have the same effect.
I wonder if the popularity of the Fancy Nancy books helps Nancy feel more familiar.
I have a peer named Nancy (mom name for my generation) and we’ve taken to calling her “fancy Nancy.” And it’s totally cute! She wears great shoes and accessories, so it works in a way I never would have pegged a “Nancy” before. I vote Nancy Kate! I think it is very catching on a young girl, but grows with her. Agreed with an earlier comment that in the US, Jessica is a mom name. I wouldn’t want to wait 30 years for “fancy Jessica” to come around.
I definitely think Fancy Nancy has made the name seem youthful again.
Hello
I am Irish and expecting around the same time as you. I think you should go with jessica or jessa (which I love more but if your heart is set on Jessica…). The name wasn’t that popular back in the day and would not be considered a mom name now in Ireland. Of the others my favourite is Nancy (very popular in the UK and I would think that will transfer over). Not a fan of Bethany as I think it might be shortened to Beth, which a lot of people might pronounce Bet in Ireland
I also love Jenna and Alexa and think they would go well with your surname. best of luck!
I like Bethany, but I agree that it might become Bettany in Ireland.
I know Tristan is far more popular in Ireland than it is in the States, but there is still a fairly large popularity gulf between Tristan and Jessica (ranked 20-31 most popular over the last decade or so). I wonder if you’d like somewhat more uncommon names:
Celeste, Sabina, Bellamy, Nanette, Cerys
Celeste Monaghan.
Tristan and Celeste.
Sabina Kate Monaghan.
Bellamy Kate. Tristan and Bellamy.
Because your last name has 3 syllables(does it?) it sounds slightly awkward to have a 3 syllable 1st name as you suggested with Bethany, Matilda and Jessica.
For me Jessica was popular 20-25 years ago and seems to still be slowly dragging out of popularity. So it is current enough to use.(australia)
You mentioned planning for a third or fourth so unless you use middle names a lot, you could maybe use Kate as a first name. Catiline or Katherine could be used if you still want a longer name.
I do like Celeste, Cecilia,or just Cellia and they follow the ssss sound that Jessica, Nancy and Tristan have.
I love the sound of Matilda Kate! And Tristan and Matilda go very well together because both date back to medieval times.*. Do you think you might shorten Matilda, at least some of the time? If you like Tilly or Tilda, either would be very cute with Tristan (Tristan and Tilda; Tristan and Tilly), without giving your children names beginning with the same letter. Tristan and Matilda (“Tilda” or “Tilly”) would be a more subtle pairing.
*From ohbaby.com:
–Tristan dates back to early medieval times originating from Celtic legend, most notably as the hero of a popular tragic/romance story known as “Tristan and Isolde.”
–Matilda is the medieval Latinized form of an Old German female personal name Mahthildis… Saint Matilda was the 10th century wife of Henry the Fowler, King of the Germans… The name was made popular in her honor mainly around the regions of Saxony and Bavaria. The name was eventually popularized in England by the Norman-French following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Matilda of Flanders was the wife of William the Conqueror and, after his conquest of England, she became Queen Consort of England.
Since you are planning for three, possibly four, children, perhaps your style/theme needs to be broader than that, although there are a lot of medieval names, including Humphrey from your boys list, to choose from for future children. http://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2012/06/medieval-favourites.html (You may also find British Baby Name’s profile of the name Tristan of interest.)
As for the middle name, I hope you’ll use Kate, a lovely classic name that goes well with each of your first name considerations. How special to have one’s middle name from a grandmother. (Personally, I would not want to be named in remembrance of a pet.)
Matilda Kate Monaghan — love it! I find the alliteration of Matilda Monaghan very appealing (with a similar appeal to the alliteration of Tristan Thomas). And the sibling names Tristan and Matilda (Tristan and Tilda/Tilly ?) go together very well.
Just read through the other posts, including those from the OP. I like Nancy too and am happy to see that it’s making a comeback. On the light side (forgetting about history of names and all that ;-) ), I think Nancy pairs fine with Tristan. (I wouldn’t be concerned about the repeating ‘n’ in the two names: Tristan (and) Nancy, Nancy and Tristan, Tristan, Nancy and ???.) Nancy Kate is spunky and cute!
Yes, Kate is going to be the middle name as long as we can get something to go with it.
Nancy Kate was nearly agreed on, but I’m just worried because with Tristan there were never any doubts! Anybody could have said anything about it and wouldn’t have put me off. So while I love Nancy, there are waves of – Oh god…will it suit her if she wants to wear This hat, or will it be suitable if she wants to wear That hat!
Soo, swistle, we need your help again!!
Back to the drawing board. We think Jessica is out from all the above comments, as not gone on any of the modified versions of Jessica (no offence to anyone who has it, just would be too confusing round here).
Bethany – is also a bit of a problem as would end up being Bettany – or worse Beh-hany. And half the allure of that name is the ‘th’ sound!
Also Matilda, is becoming really popular and Ireland moves very quickly in trends, so if you hear of 2 Matildas, suddenly they will be everywhere!!
Please help, starting to panic now, as have NO NAMES!!!
I still like Matilda Kate best for you (see my comments above). Matilda was on your original list of possible names for your daughter, and I think it’s better to go with a name you really like than to pick something randomly in a name panic. Matilda *may* be being used more frequently in Ireland, but it wasn’t in the top 100 most popular names in Ireland in 2013, per official government statistics. I don’t see any rankings beyond the first 100 names in this data, but the link to official stats for Northern Ireland shows that Matilda ranked 132 there. (Swistle has posts showing that here in the USA far more names are being given to baby girls than previously and that the #1 name today isn’t anywhere near as prevalent as it was 30 or more years ago.) Another thing to consider about Matilda is that the name has several nickname possibilities, the most frequent being Mattie, Tilly and Tilda. Thus, even IF Matilda suddenly would jump into the Top 100, little girls with that name might be called the full name or one of the short forms. Thus if there happened to be three girls in the same setting whose given name was Matilda, they might be known as Matilda, Tilly and Tilda. Lots of room for individuality with Matilda!
I noticed that Tristan also didn’t rank in the 2013 Top 100 names for Ireland; in Northern Ireland Tristan ranked 244 in 2013.
Tristan Thomas and Matilda Kate are great together — balanced in many ways.
I’d go with Matilda Kate Monaghan — love it!
Go for Nancy and ignore the naysayers! I think Nancy is a simple, retro-sounding name and not too frumpy for a modern girl.
Nancy is too cute.
How about Rosaleen?
Or similar to Era as Nancy. . Rhonda?
Darlene? Shirlee?
Unusual but similar to popular e names how about elmer?
Thanks for your reply. I guess my worry with Nancy is that it could be a bit frumpy for a modern girl. So if anything is like to steer away from older names.
A friend called her little girl Crea. Which I think is beautiful. She’s the only one I. Her school called it. And even she is asking her mom why she couldn’t have been called a princess name like Amelia.
So I worry about that. As a lot of her friends in school will be called these.