Hi Swistle!
My husband and I are expecting our second baby girl in early June. We could not possibly be more excited to have two sweet girls, but we can’t seem to agree on anything when it comes to names. Our last name is Casper-with-a-K. My name is Avery and my husband’s name is Paul Joseph, but he goes by his initials.After months and months of disagreement, we chose the name Berkley Dawn for our first daughter. The name could not be more perfect for her. We have had numerous compliments on it being both unique but not difficult to say or spell. Berkley’s middle name is both my middle name and my mother’s first name.
I believe the problem naming Baby #2 is my adoration for Berkley’s name paired with my husband and I’s distinctly different naming styles. I want something that pairs well, but isn’t too similar–I seem to be drawn to androgynous names and names that start with “B” and end with the “ee” sound. My husband; on the other hand, loves traditional, strictly-female names. We both desire a moniker that sounds sweet on a little girl, but won’t sound too juvenile as she grows.
Names that we like, but find problems with:
London — I like this name a lot, but my husband doesn’t like the idea of giving all of our children place names.
Quinn — We both kind of like this, but for some reason, I just can’t picture a baby with this name
Briony (pronounced Bry-uh-nee) — I have loved this name ever since I heard it in a movie, but my husband is having no part of it
Brinley — Sounds too similar to Berkley
Landry — I was completely sold on this, but my cousin recently announced her engagement to a man with the last name Landry, and my husband finds this name too masculine
Brooklyn — Again, a place name that my husband doesn’t seem to care for that much
Charlotte — My husband wanted this name for Berkley, but I just can’t get on board with it at all
Penelope — Another name my husband is in love with, but Berkley and Penelope just do not seem to mesh wellAny suggestions you can give us would be greatly appreciated. I can’t believe I’m admitting to this, but naming a second child is proving to be one of the most difficult tasks I’ve encountered in my entire life!
Thank you!
I suggest Delaney. It sounds somewhat unisex, but the actual usage is almost exclusively girl: in 2013, there were 1,265 new baby girls and 12 new baby boys named Delaney. For comparison, there were 11 new baby boys named Elizabeth: numbers this low are either data-entry issues or else too low for me to consider the name unisex. The sounds of Delaney are similar to the other names on your list, and I think it’s a nice fit with Berkley. Delaney Casper; Berkley and Delaney.
Or Devanie. Devanie Casper; Berkley and Devanie.
I also suggest Emerson. Emerson Casper; Berkley and Emerson.
Or Gracen. It has the traditional/feminine sound of Grace, but with a more modern/boyish/surname ending. Gracen Casper; Berkley and Gracen.
Penelope makes me think of Calliope. Calliope Casper; Berkley and Calliope.
I think Braelyn would work nicely. Braelyn Casper; Berkley and Braelyn.
Or Keelyn, if you don’t mind the alliteration (and repeated initial) with the surname. Keelyn Casper; Berkley and Keelyn.
Or Teagan. Teagan Casper; Berkley and Teagan.
Both sisters’ names would end in the -ley sound, but I still like Everly. Everly Casper; Berkley and Everly.
Or Ellery has a similar sound without repeating the ending. Ellery Casper; Berkley and Ellery.
Or Evanie. Evanie Casper; Berkley and Evanie.
If Brinley is too close to Berkley, I wonder if you’d like Finley or Kinley or Kinsley.
Or Shelby. That gives you a B sound without a repeated initial. Shelby Casper; Berkley and Shelby.
Marley duplicates the ending, but I still like it. I have acquaintances who used the spelling Marlie. Marlie Casper; Berkley and Marlie.
Or Hadley. Hadley Casper; Berkley and Hadley.
Name update!
Swistle,
I recently read your post on a lack of name updates, and I certainly knew I wanted to give you our name update as you were tremendous help!
Gracen Quinn joined our family on June 3rd (yes, yesterday!) and we have already had so many compliments on her name.
Your suggestion of Gracen was perfect for us. After you suggested it, it was a name I couldn’t get out of my head.We had originally settled on Quinn for her first name, but we decided it just didn’t flow for us, and since my husband loved the traditional sound of “Grace,” and I love androgynous names, Gracen it was!
Thank you so much for your great suggestion–we are in love with our sweet girl and her name!
Great suggestions all around! I also like Ainsley, Noa, and Haley for you.
LOVE the name London. Such a cool name that is different but yet femine. I also like Landry from your list. Names of places are really everywhere… just think of Austin, Charlotte, Holland, savannah, Georgia, Carolina, I think you are just fine with choosing London. I love your taste in names.
I love Swistle’s suggestions of Emerson, Teagan, and Delaney for you. Emerson might be my favorite, but your husband might veto it on “they’re both universities” grounds paired with Berkley. Still though, it’s not as obvious as London or Brooklyn place problem given that Emerson is recognized more primarily as a famous surname. I think it is adorable on a little girl. Teagan is my close, close second. I think it is a beautiful, easy to spell but under used name. I love the sound of Delaney, but my only hesitation is I’m not 100% sure on the pronunciation.
I love Swistle’s suggestions of Delaney and Emerson for you.
Other “androgynous” names I would suggest: Avery, Dylan, Harper, Lennox, Piper, Paige, Riley, Ryan, Sidney and Shiloh.
You didn’t mention middle names. Since Berkley has your middle name, would you consider Josephine to honor your husband? He might be willing to do a more unisex first if you do the female version of his name as the middle. I especially like Avery Josephine and Harper Josephine!
Except the mom’s name is Avery!
I really like Emerson and Delaney as suggestions. Other names that you might like:
Margot – it’s decidedly female for your husband, but has a more unisex feel – maybe perfect in this situation!
Tatum (nn Tate – love!)
Payton
Marlow (e), Marlo
Carys (reminds me of Briony for some reason, and I think lovely with Berkley)
Aubrey and Audrey are generally feminine, but I think they go well with Berkley, and aren’t as “frilly” as a name like Penelope (Aubrey I think at least was initially a male name)
Arden
Eden
Good luck!
London would be my favorite on her list.
I really like the style of Berkley and Emerson too.
What about Briar… Berkley and Briar – both B names, unique but easy to spell.
What about Macie/Macy/Maisy? Or Everly/Everleigh? I really love Emerson…Emerson Avery Casper (with a K)? Your first name would make a perfect middle name, Avery. I also am a fan of Kenley/Kinley (although perhaps tricky with your last name starting with a K), as well as Delaney, Emerson, Britton, Ainsley/Aynsley, Kennedy, and Reagan.
How do you pronounce Devanie, Swistle? That one throws me off a bit because I’ve never heard of it before. It’s beautiful written out though. :)
I pronounce it DEV-ah-nee. The rhythm of Bethany; the sound of the name Devan with an -y/-ee/-ie on the end.
I would consider feminine sounding surname names. With Berkley, I really like:
Bellamy
Marlowe
Sloane
Hollis
Wallace
Eden
Carlin
Darcy
I was going to suggest Bellamy, too.
Love Sloane!
How about: Ellison, Lark/Larkin, Lakelyn, Briley, Laine, Jolee, or Hollis?
If your husband could overlook the place name thing, I’d suggest Lisbon. All the same aspects of ease that you have with Berkley, and your husband could have the feminine nickname of Lis.
Going more mainstream, I like the suggestions of Shelby, Marlow, Hadley, or Finley.
Feminine names that don’t come across as super girly are numerous. Off the top of my head: Maeve, Ashby, Wren, Tamsin, Lyra, Larkin, Shea, or Willow.
Ashby is a train station in Berkeley, CA :)
I personally am not too big of a fan of androgynous names; or rather, there are some that I think work well (like Avery!) and others that I think miss the boat (like Landry) or are overdone (like Emerson).
I love Delanie. I think you could call her Lanie or Della, but it’s still a name that SOUNDS androgynous. While I think Emerson is way too overdone, I do think that Emma or Emmy from that is cute. Again to give your husband an option for a girlier name.
I also think Charlotte for a middle name works nicely.
Emery or Emrie? (I know little girls with both these spellings.)
I think there have been some great suggestions to go with Berkley…. Delaney, Marlowe, Sloane, Darcy, and Arden. What about Ashton, Bridgett, Leighton, or Josette (a hint to Dad’s name)?
I like the suggestion of Delaney for you because it’s between androgynous and feminine and ends with the ee sound and it’s a nice pairing with Berkley. How about Delaney Paula or Delaney Josephine since your older daughter shares a middle with you?
Alternately, since you like B names and your husband prefers a more traditional girl name, maybe something like Beatrice? It’s stylistically different from Berkley but the initial ties it together.
Or Ruby? It has a b sound and and ee sound and it’s a fairly traditional name that still pairs well with Berkley.
As a huge fan of the name Berkley (it’s on my list) I of course wanted to give my input.
I too like the suggestion of Delaney for you. I also love Emerson but I am hearing it a lot these days. If you want something a little more different not sure that would be the one for you.
How about
Saylor (although not sure sounds good with your last name)
Leighton
Lennon
Reagan – I really do like Teagan as well
Tatum….LOVE this one
Britton
Langley
Larkin
Anniston
Channing
Chaley
Elliott/e
Finley
Kinley
Grier
Blair
Harlow
Henley
Marlowe
Kendall
Kennedy
Locklyn
Oakley
Presley
Riley
Sutton
Skylar
Tierney
Waverly
I rather liked Holland; how about Holland Charlotte Casper; Berkley and Holland. Love it!
I love Shelby for you. I have now had several students with it, and it seems assertative, fun, pleasant, and not too frilly. If I was having another and having a girl I would seriously consider it.
I would also encourage you to add Wren. I love this name, and it seems like it could work for your sibset.
A few more suggestions: Brynn, Bristol, Keeley, Auden, Darby, Ellis
I think Delaney is a fantastic choice. Other options you might like:
Brynn
Auden
Finley
Sawyer
Peyton
Hadley
Riley
What about Lux (or Luxe)??
I love love love swistle’s suggestion of Calliope. Might be a good meet-in-the-middle with your husband’s Penelope?
I love Briar. Or Grier.
I also like Marlow or Harlow. A little bit more traditional but still fresh for your tastes. I love Sloane, although not sure if your husband would care for or not.
What about Camden? Berkley and Camden.
the first name that came to mind for your new little one is Diem! I know most people first think of “carpe diem,” but it’s a beautiful name and even has a nod to your husband going by his initials since Diem sounds like D.M., and I also agree with the idea of using Paula, Paulina, Josephine or another evolution of your husband’s names for this girl’s middle.
Some other great names (sorry for repeats!):
Linden
Arden
Leighton
Campbell
Aurora (Rory)
Kirby
Darian
:)
Without knowing, I would assume your Berkley’s name came from a family surname and had nothing to do with the University or City because of the spelling. With that, I would probably lean towards other feminine surname-style names or somewhat unique feminine names.
I like these suggestions so far: Braelyn, Teagan, Ainsley, Payton/Peyton, Britton, Emery, Waverly, Brynn
I might add: Addison, Brett, Brooke, Bonnie, Cassidy, Sybil, Denae, Kendall, Melody
Sybil is a lovely suggestion!
I don’t think Emerson, while a great name, would be a wise pairing with Berkley – both are colleges in Boston (though it’s spelled Berklee)! That’s like naming your kids Harvard and Dartmouth, just slightly less renowned.
The issue of how well-known the schools are is one issue. The other issue is that Berkeley and Emerson are currently used as given names, while Harvard and Dartmouth are not.
I went to high school with a kid named Harvmit – named because one parent had gone to Harvard and one went to MIT. I kid you not. He mostly went by Harv and he ended up going to a state university.
As a fan of names like Charlotte and Penelope but not unisex names I kind of wonder how you came about to agree on the name Berkely. It seems not at all like a compromise and not a likely crossover name. How does your husband feel about the name? Does he feel like he got equal say in the process? It seems to me like you might be the one to make some concessions this time to accommodate his style. Maybe a name like Evelyn, Audrey, Marian, Juniper, Meredith, Kerrigan, Cassidy?
My husband is actually the one that came up with the name Berkley! We both adore it and neither of us feels as though we compromised or didn’t get an equal say.
I suggest Tamsen (so underused!) and Larkin. Maybe you could use Charlotte as a middle name since your husband loves it?
Tamsen Charlotte Casper
Larkin Charlotte Casper
OK, consolidating my favorites just because :)
Sloane Casper
Larkin Casper
Laurel Casper
Tamsen Casper
Sybil Casper
Briar Caspar
Charlotte would be a great middle name for all of them. Quinn could be great for a middle, too, and gives the excellent middle initial ‘Q.’
I love London too! But maybe Lennon would work instead? (Leni is an adorable nickname!)
Also, I like Bronwyn…Berkley and Bronwyn?
Good luck! Please send an update for this one…I’d like to hear what you decide! :)
Swistle’s suggestions of Delaney , Finley, Kinley, & Kinsley are right on with what I was going to suggest!
I also like: Tenley, Presley, & Isley.
Let us know what you decide – 2 little girls are so precious!!
What about Landis? I once knew a woman with that name.
How about Winslow (nn Winnie)?
You could try to find an androgynous name with a traditional feminine nick name.
If you want to go with traditional girls names starting with B and ending in Y, I’ve listed a few below
Bethany
Brooke (nn Brookie)
Beverly
Brittany
Bailey
Rebecca (nn Becky)
Elizabeth (nn Betty)
And now for the fun and less likely suggestions:
Wilhelmina/Willa (nn Billy)
Brandy
Buffy
What about Delta? It’s a little offbeat but it’s definitely a girls name. To me, it also seems to fit in with your androgynous faves. You could call her Della if you’re the kind of people who enjoys nick names.
Delta Casper
Berkley and Delta Casper.
I’m a fan.
I just read the comment above me and I’m going to second Buffy. It seems so perfect in this situation (you can leave it on it’s own or make it a nick name from Elizabeth).
I was totally going to suggest Delta too.. It’s my new favorite name right now! Dax Sheppard and Kristen Bell named their second daughter Delta and their first daughter’s name is Lincoln…. so kind of the same feel Avery and her husband are going for.
You could also use Joelle as a middle after your husband. Eden Joelle Casper.
Arden Joelle Casper.
Devan Joelle Casper.
Teagan Joelle Casper.
Darby Joelle Casper.
Darcy Joelle Casper.
Wren Joelle Casper. (Wren Josephine flows better.)
Delaney Joelle Casper.
Rory Joelle Casper.
Or Joelle as a first name. Joelle Casper; Joelle Devanie Casper.
I don’t think Briar Casper or Cassidy Casper work at all.
What about Brandis? Brandis Josephine Casper.
Some great suggestions here!
Just a few more! Sorry if there’s any repeats:
Cambria
Lincoln
Campbell
Veda
Conway
Langley
Sable
Fairlie
Tindra
Hartley
Audra
Ember
Collins
Morgana
Mason
Tempany
Sutton
McKaley
Amity
Saffron
Cameo
Calla
Matisse
Good luck!!
I like Berkley and Ellery. Ellery is one of my favorite names, but it doesn’t fit some of my criteria and so I am always hopeful that others will use it. It sounds really good with Berkley.
After reading Swistle’s reply, I thought Delaney sounded like a great pairing with Berkley, but then I saw someone suggest Tamsen and I love it with Berkley. I’m not sure why, but it seems like such a sweet, but spunky name that could keep up with your first’s name.
I have to say, I do agree with your husband that 2 place names gets too cutesy. Some names I love for you:
Ainsley
Ellis/Ellison
Hadley
Finley
Marlowe
Peyton
Reagan
Rowen
Teagan
Wren
Good luck!
This is probably too close for comfort but an acquaintance has two girls named Berkley and Brinkley! There are some great suggestions and I would tend to name the second girl a different sounding name. Have you thought about Audrey?
In my boyfriends family there were three brothers called Berkeley, Aubrey and Selby. They all seem to be more suited to girls these days so maybe Aubrey or Selby would work for you.
My name is Tamsin, and I wish more people chose it! I do get funny spellings on coffee cups and Mail sometimes, but I still feel it’s a pretty straightforward name that is often skipped over.
My NNs are Tam or T and I like that it makes the name less feminine in a way. Sadly, I’ve never met another Tamsin in person, though I do see my name on many “like it, but not brave enough to use it” name lists. Embrace it! Team Tamsin all the way :)
What about Landon? Compromise btwn London& Landry
I do like Delaney but I also like Piper and Nola. Those are sweet and interesting and easy to spell. Good luck!