Here is the game we are playing:
We are going to pretend that we are naming a baby and that the name MUST start with a certain letter, and so we will need one name starting with that letter for a boy and one name starting with that letter for a girl, or else one name that would work for either, EVEN IF we don’t like any of the names that start with that letter enough to Actually In Real Life choose them. It is just a game where we place artificial restrictions on reality in order to create the kind of tension that makes games fun—like when you have to choose what foods you’d eat if you could only eat three foods for the rest of your life: the fun is in thinking it over AS IF it were a real forced decision, while KNOWING it is not. There is a baby! It MUST be given a name with a particular letter! That is the game.
After that basic concept, we can decide our own sub-rules, based on what makes the game fun and not stressful. Some examples:
• I’m not planning to play that the name has to fit with the names of my other children or with the surname, though this would be an option for anyone who would LIKE to play it that way; I think I will have more fun if I pretend it is a stand-alone baby and that the surname is not an issue, though I may change my mind as we go. (And if I narrow it down to a few options and can’t decide, I might use siblings/surname as a tie-breaker.)
• It is also fine to narrow it down to a few finalists without getting to The One Name.
• The boy name and girl name don’t have to work TOGETHER: we are only naming ONE baby, so you’d only use one or the other. But you MAY play that the names have to work together, if that’s more fun.
• It is fine to wave aside issues such as a friend who already used that name, a famous person with the name, etc., if that makes it more fun and less stressful to choose. This is just pretend, so you can pretend that those things aren’t issues if you want to. (Or you can let the issues stand as they are in real life, if THAT is more fun.)
• We can also all make our own decisions about whether the names have to be ones we think we’d ACTUALLY USE in that hypothetical scenario, or just our FAVORITE names starting with that letter, regardless of whether we think the names are practical; I am not sure which way I will play it, and I likely won’t be consistent.
• If you already have a child with a name starting with the letter we’re working on, you get to pick again from all the names that remain; you don’t have to choose your child’s name as your favorite just because it WAS your favorite: this is a FRESH baby, and you wouldn’t give it the same name as your existing child. (If you would normally prefer not to repeat an initial within a sibling group, you can just pretend that’s NOT a preference for the sake of the game.)
• You can do as much or as little explanation as you like in your comment: you can just list the names you chose, or you can explain your process/preferences/reasoning/runners-up, or whatever is most fun.
Today’s letter is H. For a girl I like Harriet and Henrietta and Hannah and Hillary and Helen. I like Hope, but Paul can’t resist wordplay so that’s just out. I want other people to use Hermione so it becomes more common. In a world where I don’t have to make my child deal with what other people’s associations are with a name, I choose Hillary. In a world where I deal with reality as it is, I lean toward Henrietta but suspect I wouldn’t actually go for it in the end, and I suspect Paul would lean toward Harriet, and I think we’d actually choose Hannah. Actually-actually, we might go ahead and choose Hillary.
For boys I have already have Henry and Harvey on my list. But at this point, I would use Harris: it’s a family name, and we had it on our list for all our boys but rejected it mostly because we were using my surname as a second middle name and so using a surname-name as the first name felt like So Many Surnames. But now it’s also an honor name for the first female vice president of the United States, and at this point I don’t care anymore if it’s a lot of surnames. (That feels like one of those naming-stage concerns that didn’t pan out as a real issue.)
Now you! If you want to! Only if it’s fun and not stressful! Feel free to adjust the game-play to be fun and not stressful!
I like Hallie, Hannah, Hattie, Hope, and Helena. I think I would choose Hillary as an honor name but would prefer it in the middle name slot.
For boys I like Harrison, Harry, Heath, Hector, Hugh and Howard. I would probably choose Harrison and call him Harry.
Girl: Hillary (mn slot)
Boy: Harrison/Harry
I forgot that I love the name Henrik for a boy! So similar to Henry and Hendrix with old-fashioned charm.
I fell in love with the name Hope Sophia last pregnancy. But while my husband has lots of names that he isn’t enthusiastic about apparently they were all better in his mind than Hope.
For a boy, Henry.
Oh, H is one of my favorites for boy names. My two have H names: 8 kings of England share one son’s name; the other shares his with the protagonist of a Salinger novel. Anyway, were I to name another child, these would be my choices:
Girl: Harlow, maybe Harper. I love Halcyon in theory but am myself unsure of the pronunciation.
Boy: Hugo. Was on the short list for my younger child.
Hector is a family name, it’s my dad and brother first name and the first name of a few cousins, I’m not sure I would use it but I do love it because my favorite people in the world are named Hector. I really like Hugo, and it would keep the H going.
For girls I like Henley, Harriett and Henrietta both with Hattie as a nn, Hattie is one of my favorite nicknames.
Girl: Harriett nn Hattie
Boy: Hugo
My son was almost named Harrison. I also love Henry, which is a family name for both me and my husband, I have no idea why we didn’t even consider Henry. I love them both, but I’ll go with Henry.
For girls, I love Hazel, it’s been on my list for years. My grandmother was named Henrietta, and I remember thinking it was hopelessly out of style when ny sons were born, but now I’d be thrilled to have a Henrietta. In fact, I just decided that if I ever get another cat, her name will be Henrietta. :) so I’ll use Hazel for this game to save Henrietta for a future cat.
Hazel and Henry.
For a boy I really like Harvey and Henry. For a girl I like Henrietta too, a friend of mine just used it and she calls her Etta and it’s so sweet. I like Harris for either a boy or girl, I have some relatives who have it as a last name and I can’t believe none of them used it for a name! My last name is … not great as a first name so I’m always jealous when someone has a more easily transferable last name to first name.
I wanted to name my daughter Halle (pronounced/spelled the same as Halle Berry)… my husband consistently (like, every single time) mispronounced it as Hailey. We did not end up using the name but it’s definitely still one of my favorites.
For a boy: Hudson or Hunter (both family names)
Girls – Holly, Hazel
Boys – Hadrian, Hollis, Harlan
There was a kind and really bright Holly in my college dorm. I liked her. :)
Harris is also a family name here, so it is a strong contender. But I also love Hugh! Well maybe in this hypothetical world I would name a boy baby Hugh Harris Lastname because it would mimic my real child’s name, with double initials and an honor name in the middle spot.
For a girl… I like Hannah and Honor and Hadley and Harriet. But I would probably choose Holland because it has personal significance.
Hugh and Holland
H names for girls don’t usually get me very excited. As a teen I liked Hero for a girl. It’s a fun concept, but I wouldn’t use it. I think I like Harriet best, especially thinking of Harriet Tubman, and Etta is a fun nickname for Harriet or Henrietta.
I like so many H boy names: Harvey, Hugo, Hugh, Hamish, Huck… I like cute names with old man nicknames right now so Harvey nn Harve would probably be a go-to if it wasn’t for the negative associations that Harvey now carries. Can using those names despite negative name bearers redeem them? My next choice, which I also love, is Hugh.
G: Harriet
B: Hugh
Hazel (nn Hattie or Hazzy) for a beloved mentor and since I couldn’t use Harlan (one of our kids’ donor sibs already has it) I’d go with Henry, (nn Hank). My H choices are so basic, sigh.
I really like H names! Henry was on the list for my boys, and I also like Harris/Harrison. For girls I think Hillary is cute, just maybe a bit dated. I also like Hannah, but it is a bit on the other end, a bit trendy and popular. My guilty pleasure name I would probably never use is Hannelore, which I think is ridiculously cute, nicknames Hannie and Lore. In a perfect world I pick Hannelore and Harrison, but in reality probably Hannah and Henry.
Oh I completely forgot about Holden, Helena and Helen! They are so cute!
My pick for a girl is easy; Hallie! (like Sally). It just may be my favorite choice for a future daughter
For boys, I like Huck but wouldn’t actually use it. Harvey, Harlan, Harris are all ok but not something I would use either
Oh! My pick for a boy would be Hayes! How could I forget Hayes
I want so bad to pick my grandfather’s name – Herbert. My grandfather was a GREAT man. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about him, other than “he was a stubborn man” but always said with a smile. However I’m just not sure if Herbert is a name that can be considered “cute” again. I have a very hard time picturing it on a baby and hearing it as anything other than my grandfather. However, I was the same way with several other “old-time” names, that now seem perfect for a baby.
I also really like Hugh for a boy. Harris, Harrison, and Henry round out my top 5.
For a girl – Heidi. I just love it! I’ve loved it since I was a small girl. But Hubs said “no way!”
H: (f)Heidi – (m) Herbert/Hugh
I:(f) Isla – (m)Ian
J: (f) Jones Elise – (m) John Elliott (Jett)
K: (f)Kathryn – (m)Kirk
L: (f)Laurel – (m)Liam
M: (f)Miriam – (m)Miles
N:(f)Naomi – (m)Nigel or Neil
O:(f)Olivia – (m)Orion
P:(f)Penelope(Poppy) – (m)Porter
PH:(f)Phoebe – (m)Phillip
Q:(f or m)Quimby
R:(f)Ruth – (m)Russell or Rhett
S:(f)Simone or Sierra – (m)Seth
T:(f)Tessa/Tess – (m)Tucker
U:(f)Ula – (m)Umberton
V:(f)Viola or Vivian – (m)Vaughn
W:(f)Wynn – (m)Webb or Whit
X:(f)Xanthe – (m)Xavier
Y:(f)Yara – (m)York
Z:(f)Zella – (m)Zeke
Scratch all that poetic waxxing about my grandfather’s name!! While, still true, the commenter below reminded me of Heath! I LOVE Heath! Can’t believe I forgot about it. I’m going with Heath as my pick instead!
I like so many H girls names! Hannah, Harmony, Helena, Hyacinth! I think I will go the classic Hannah for though. Heath for the boy, though I like Harris also.
H: Hannah and Heath
I: Iris and Isaac
J: June and Jude
K: Kestrel and Kellan
L: Leia and Lance
M: Magnolia and Miles
N: Naomi and Nathaniel
O: Ophelia and Owen
P: Pippa and Peter
Q: Quinn and Quill
R: Rosalie and Roan
S: Susanna and Simon
T: Tessa and Thaddeus
U: Umbria and Urban
V: Vera and Valerian
W: Wren and West
X: Xymeria and Xavier
Y: Ysabel and Yarrow
Z: Zelie and Zebulon
gah! Heath!! How did I forget Heath!?! Love that one!!
Holliday! I just lovelovelove it. I don’t love Holly but as this is for an imaginary child, I’m not going to worry about nicknames.
For a boy: Hank. Would I ever use it? No, no, I don’t think so. I’m English, for starters, and it feels just truly so American. But it brings a little smile to my face when I hear it. Hank!
I also love Holiday!
For a boy Hamilton or Holton or Hendrik.
Holiday and Holton
Henry and Hazel!
I would go with Hugh and Helena, which I love, but don’t think I could actually use because I lack the patience and energy to deal with multiple possible pronunciations (my preferred pronunciation is Helen-ah). But H is a lovely letter!
I’m so surprised when some names are chosen quite often. Another vote for Halle! For boys my youngest’s middle name is Holden, and I’m still happy about that one! If it weren’t for that I’m loving Heath too!
Helen and Henry
Boy: Hudson
Girl: Henrika
H was suprisingly hard for me.
Lots of solid H choices! For a boy, I’m somewhat enamored of Hugo (so dashing!) but would probably go with the more classic Henry in real life. For a girl, I like Helena but would hate having to deal with the pronunciation issue (I prefer HEL-en-uh, but I think I’d hear a lot of Hel-AY-nuh). I also like Hermione, but that feels a little too bold/risky for me (I’m a name chicken, haha). I’d probably go with Harriet, which feels pleasingly British and old-fashioned — plus, cute nicknames of Hattie or Harry or Etta.
Final answers: Henry and Harriet.
Tough for me to think about as I’m named Heather and that is NOT in style now. Then again, I was named Heather BEFORE it was in style….
My niece is named Helenka which has not appeared on anyone’s post yet.
I think I’d go with Holland and Henry — tho’ Henry is my son’s middle name.
For a boy if end up going with Harvey although I really do like Hugo too. For a girl I think I’d go for Harriet with the nn Hattie.
For a girl, I like: Hallie, Halo (way too brave for me to use in real life), Harriet, Hattie, Hazel, Henrietta. Today I’m torn between Hattie and Hazel.
For a boy, I like: Hayes, Henry, Huck, Hugo. I would choose Hugo.
As life goes, one of my all time favourite girl names is Holly – definitely due to knowing a girl as a kid who was super cool, kind, attractive – and I married someone with a surname which would make the names together sound like Holy Sh1t. Ugh. Even Hallie is awkward. Love Harriet, Hazel, Hope, Helena (but what pronunciation?) but I’m gonna choose Heidi. I love the association to the story, plus the two adult Heidis I know are just amazing big hearted people.
Love Hale, Hugo, Hugh, Huxley, Hamish, Hartley. But can we please bring back Hank?
G: Heidi
B: Hank
Please tell me your last name is Schitt :)
Oh I WISH that was the surname ;-) It’s very similar.
I like Holly, Hope, Hannah, and Heidi. But I think I would go with Hazel. It hits the right spot for me in terms of old fashioned/current, nature name, and length/sound.
For boys, I do like Henry, Hugo, and Harvey but I love Heath and would probably go with that.
Well this one is easy because both of my H choices were names a
I really really wanted to use on this last child, but could not.
Girl: Hattie
Boy: Henry
I also really like Hazel and Henrietta for a girl. Hazel is a family name but very recently popular where I live, and my husband just couldn’t get on board with Henrietta. I love Hank and Harry! I think Hugh would be charming on a little one too.
HARVEY HARVEY HARVEY. In real life it doesn’t go well with our last name but for H I’m choosing to ignore that. For a girl I love Hattie but not the nicknames that give me Hattie. I would choose Hazel.
H: Harvey and Hazel
I: Isaac and Iris (honorable mention Isaiah)
J: Jasper and Jane
K: Kieran and Kathryn
L: Leland and Louisa
M: Matthew & Margot
N: Neil & Nadine (strong second place Naomi)
O: Oscar & Opal
P: Patrick & Paloma (close seconds are Peter & Pearl)
Q: Quinn (for either, because I already have a Quentin)
R: Robert & Ruth (special shout out to Ramona)
S: Sawyer & Sylvie
T: Toby & Tabitha
U: Uriel & Una
V: Vincent & Veronica
W: Walter & Winonah (honorable mention to Warren)
X: Xavier & Xia
Y: Yusef & Yolanda
Z: Zachary & Zelda (but upon reflection I think maybe Zinnia)
I have a Heidi and still like it best for a girl. She’s named after my grandma Alice. Heidi is short for Adelheid, which when Americanized becomes Alice.
For a boy I only like nickname names: Hank, Hodge, Huck, but don’t like the original names.
So I would choose Heidi and Hodge, not short for Roger.
For a boy, no question: Hiram! It’s an old-testament, wild-west type of name that is due for a comeback.
For a girl, my conservative choice would be Helen. To me Helen suggests boarding school, pearls, and power. Someone indomitable.
But if I were to stretch further, I’d go with Hilda. Hilda didn’t just attend boarding school, she is the iron-willed headmistress.
Hiram and Hilda it is!
TLDR: Heidi, Hans
There are plenty of H names to love. For a girl, I like Helene, Heloise, Heidi, and Hester. I think I choose Heidi here, because it’s pretty and reminds me of the book Heidi.
For a boy there are also a lot of great H names, Henry, Hugo, and Hans are my favorites. Hans also a family name of a very wonderful man so that is what I choose.
I feel extremely Nordic on these ones, not my normal style.
So many good ones! I like Hugh, Hank, Henry (already used this one irl), Heath, Huck for boys. For girls, I love Hazel, Hannah, Hildegard.
I’m feeling Heath and Hazel!
Wait! I forgot Hermione. I’d go with that one. I love the meaning and the rhythm.
Oh, lovely H. I love Helen and Helena and Hilaria and Honoria, but Harriet is the only name to inspire my husband to bring up baby naming—and we weren’t even pregnant!
Hayden is a family name, so I think that wins, but it is for an Admirable Yet Difficult person. So maybe Hugo after all.
H: Harriet and Hayden
I: Iris and Isaac
J: Judith and Julian
K: Kestrel
L: Louisa and Luke
M: Mae and Matthias
N: Nicola or Nicholas
O: Octavia and Oliver
P: Paulina or Paul
Q: Quartz and Quentin
R: Rosa and Raphael
S: Sylvie and Samuel
T: Theodora and Timothy
U: Una and Ulysses
V: Vera and Valerian
W: Willa and Walter
X: Xenia and Xavier
Y: Yvaine and Yves
Z: Zinnia and Zachary
Hallie and Henry.
Oh man… So many good H names! My favorite for a boy has always been Holden. I also like Hank and Hunt and Holt. For girls, I’m liking Heidi a lot these days. I also like Harper (but it’s pretty popular these days), Hollis, and Halle.
So, Holden and Heidi!
Hazel and Hugo, which is actually my frontrunner boy’s name at the moment.
Hazel was my great-grandmother’s name and in keeping with my actual preference of picking girl names that at least nod to my family tree, it would be perfect. Unfortunately, a deeply unappealing coworker ruined the name for me several years ago. It’s also having a resurgence of popularity in my area, so now, even when I think of it fondly for a little girl, it’s somebody else’s little girl I’m thinking of. But that’s okay because while I like many H names, Harriet is far and away my favorite.
For boys, I feel like Henry is the only one I would actually use on an actual baby or child in my existing family (as opposed to liking many boy H names in theory but not really seeing them on a kid of mine). But even that would be far down the list of names overall. So for purposes of this fantasy, I will choose Heath, after my second-favorite Barkley brother from Big Valley.
Harriet and Heath
For a girl, Hanna (spelled like that for Irish suffragette Hanna Sheehy Skeffington). Perhaps with Hermione as a middle name…
For a boy, Hugh.
Definitely I’d choose Helen for a girl. I love Henry (nicknamed Hank) for a boy and probably would have chosen it for one of my children if hadn’t known so many other young kids named Henry!
My top two favorite girl names start with H! Hannah and Hazel. It’s so hard to pick! I think I would end up picking Hannah because it fits in best with my sons’ names. But then, Hazel has special family significance.
I’m not drawn to H names for boys. Right now I’m reading the biography of Alexander Hamilton, so I might choose Hamilton. I also like Hudson – I heard someone use the nickname Huddle and thought it was adorable!
Apparently I must really like the letter H-I’m finding it hard to pick.
For boys, I like Harry, Harrison, Henry, Hugo, Hugh. If forced to pick, I think I’d probably go with Henry-maybe with Harry as a nickname just so I could double dip.
For girls, Harriet, Henrietta, Hazel, Helen, Helena, Hermione, Heather. I think I’d probably go with Hermione.
Boy: Harlan/Harland (family name) , Hayes
Girl: Handley (family surname)
Girl: Henrietta
Honorable mentions: Hazel, Haven
Boy: Hadrian
Honorable mentions: Hollis, Halen
For a girl, Helena, which I love but my last name starts with an H and I wasn’t a fan of the alliteration
For a boy, Hawthorne, which does not fit my typical naming style at all
Hugo was the name I couldn’t coax my husband into, so Hugo definitely if he doesn’t get a say!
My girl-name style is Helen or Helena, and I love those names, but I have such a weak spot for Holland which is way outside my normal style. I love it for a little girl.
I had no idea I like so many H names!
Runners up are: Holly and Hallie for girls and Hank and Hugo for boys.
I choose Hazel for the game even though it’s too popular in real life and Harvey for boy even though I thnk it’s a bit tarnished by Weinstein!
My top favorite “h” girl names are Honora/Honoria and Hilaria, but I feel like I’m cheating if I choose a name where the “h” is silent. Also, if I used those names IRL, I might want to spell them without the “h” as in Anora and Ilaria. Still, one of them might be what I would ultimately go with if I had to choose an “h” name. Other names with a similar problem would be Herminia and Hortensia.
Names I would enjoy on other people’s children but probably wouldn’t choose include Holly, Heidi, Hailey, Hannah (tired of it these days, but love a palindrome!), Hera, and Hestia. Hecate is a guilty pleasure even for a middle. I adore Hattie but none of the long forms unless I could make Hypatia work as the long form. Such a cool person to be named for! But I probably wouldn’t be brave enough. I would be tempted by Helena with any pronunciation, Halesia or Halona nicknamed Hallie, and Heliodora for names that actually have the “h” sound. But Hadria/Hadriana mightt be the top contender for a name with the “h” sound, especially if I didn’t choose Hadrian as a boy name.
There are a lot of “h” names that I like for boys but mostly in the middle spot. I considered Holt as a first for my son, but wanted at least two syllables, so it was a no-go when his father said Holton was too much like the hotel chain for him. Holden is also great, but I didn’t want people to think I was obsessed with the character. I like Harbor as a middle for a boy as well as Heath and Hodge. I’m still sorrowful that I couldn’t fit Hugo as a third middle into my son’s name. On other people’s children, I like Hamish, Harvey, Haydn, and Harrison/Henderson called Hank or Hal. Hawkin is a guilty pleasure as is Howell because it sounds like Howl, but Howie and Wells would make great nicknames! I couldn’t use Hezekiah with my son’s name, so I think as a first for a boy, I would end up with Hadrian (if I didn’t also have a Hadria/Hadriana) or Horatio (if I could get over the sound of the first syllable and also come up with a good nickname) or else promote Hugo or Heath to first-name position.
Huxley and Hermione :).
Hallie & Holden
H is easy. For a girl, I’ve loved Helena for ages and it’s a name I could actually use in real life very happily. If only it was less popular here in Poland, it would be perfect. For a boy – Hyacinth. I love Hyacinth for both genders but I prefer it on a boy. Or here it would be Hiacynt. They’d be both honour names, because my grandma’s name is Helena, and my Dad’s name is Jacek which is a Polish form of Hyacinth, way more common than Hiacynt.
Oh my I almost forgot I also love Hamish! I’m not sure though if Hyacinth Hamish or Hamish Hyacinth is a good combo, with so much H. I think that’s what I’d go with though, because it would be such a shame not to use Hamish when I could. I also love Harris, but it’s one of rather not many surname names I like so generally is not very congruent with my style, which is why I probably would not use it.
Hazel (runner ups: Hannah, Helena)
Henry (runner ups: Hayes, Hamish)
Hannah for a girl, runner-up Harriet. My sister was considering Hazel for a girl and I still kind of wish she’d gone with it, but I like it better for her than for me, if that makes sense.
I don’t have as many H boy names I like. Henry, I guess? Or maybe Harris.
Henry for a boy, if I could guarantee no nicknames. Do not like Harry or Hank at all, so maybe it would be safer to go with Hugo?
My girl’s choice would be either Helena or Hope. Probably Helena, even with the pronunciation issues. I don’t like how Hope sounds with my one-syllable surname or almost sounds like a phrase with it. But if there was a father in the picture and I could use his last name instead, I might go with Hope.
Hazel is a family name. As a small child I thought it was so old-fashioned (It was! She was born in 1908!) But now? I LOVE it! So that would be for a girl although I also love Hollis and Harper.
For a boy… that is harder. I like Higgins (family name), Hollis, and Hendrik. I’d like to use Higgins but I’d need a good nickname. I suppose I could find a good middle name and work something out that way.
H: Hazel & Higgins
I: Isla & Iden
J: Jane & Jacob
K: Keira & Keegan
L: Laurel & Lowell
M: Millicent (nn Millie) & Miller (my maiden name and I am still salty I didn’t use it for my last son)
N: Nina & Noah (Nina is a family name)
O: Ophelia (nn Phee) & Oliver (nn Ollie)
P: Piper & Porter (runners up: Poppy & Payton)
Q: Quinn (either boy or girl)
R: Ruby & Rafe (runners up: Riley & Remy)
S: Seraphina (nn Phee) & Sawyer (runners up: Sutton & Sebastian)
T: Tallulah (nn Lulu) & Tyler (runner up: Talia)
U: Urla & Ulric
V: Vashti & Varden (runner up: Violet)
W: Willow & Winter (runners up: Wren & Willa)
X: Xiomara & Xavier
Y: Yara & Yates
Z: Zola & Zachary
Hazel and Henry
For a boy, easy: Henry, nn Hal. If we ever have another son (we won’t, sob) that would almost certainly be his name.
For a girl… hmmmm. Much harder. I think in my mind H is quite a clunky starter initial? But then I like clunky names like Edith and Agatha so you’d think that would be right up my street? Oh! Oh! I know: Hester. Henry (Hal) and Hester.
Holly and Harold nn Harry. Not together though. Holly and Harry are too twin-y
Runners up
Girl: Harriet, Helen
Boy: Horatio
There are a few others I can only admire but absolutely cannot use: Hikaru, Heledd, Hadiyyah, and Hari.
I like more H boy names than girls. Faves including Harvey, Hayes, Heath, Hodge, Hollis, Hugh (nn Huey), and Huxley. Stylistically all over the place! I prefer Hodge as a nickname for Roger. Hayes, Heath, Hollis, and Huxley are definitely outliers for my usual style. I love love love Harvey, but as a Sabrina…I can’t. I’d choose Hugh/Huey!
For girls, I like less, but am drawn to Hannah, Hazel, Hadley, Halle, and Hillary. I’m not sure I’d choose it in real life, but for this I choose Hillary!
H – (f) Hillary, (m) Hugh
I – (f) Imogen, (m) Iver
J – (f) Joy, (m) Julian
K – (f) Kendra, (m) Keith
L – (f) Louisa, (m) Logan
M – (f) Mallory, (m) Marshall
N – (f) Nadine, (m) Neil
O – (f) Odette, (m) Oliver
P – (f) Pia, (m) Parson
Q – (f) Quincy, (m) Quaid
R – (f) Ramona, (m) Roger
S – (f) Susanna, (m) Sullivan
T – (f) Thora, (m) Tatum
U – (f) Uma, (m) Umber
V – (f) Virginia, (m) Vaughn
W – (f) Whitney, (m) Wade
X – (f) Xaida, (m) Xander
Y – (f) Yardley, (m) York
Z – (f) Zoe, (m) Zachary
For a girl, I would for sure use Helen. It’s a family name that we actually considered at one point and I love it.
For a boy, Henry (my actual son’s name), Harvey or Holden are my faves.
We strongly considered Hector and Hamish for our first child, ended up going with something else and then three months later our friends had a baby Hector and my BIL got a dog called Hamish so they are both out! I think we would go with Heath. I don’t think I love any H names but my wife loves Heath and I like it a lot.
H for girls is even harder, I can’t think of any that I really love. I quite like Hermione, although have a close friend named that so don’t know if we would pick it. I like Hero but probably not in real life. Maybe Hilda? Or Hedda? I think as a fantasy I would choose Hermione.
Heath and Hermione
Holland (nn Holly) and Holden {obviously not together}
hildegard and henry!
Henry & Helen.
For a girl I would use Halcyon. It’s an outlier to my usual style but I don’t think it’s so “out there” that it wouldn’t work in my sibling set. The first time I learned the word I thought it would make a pretty name, and then a few years later I met a teen named Halcyon and thought she carried it well and realized it really could work! I hesitated to use it in real life because of pronunciation issues, but it’s definitely my favorite H name so if I were limited to H names only, I’d go for it.
I also loved Hazel but already used that as a middle for one of my daughters.
For a boy I like Hank but my other son is Sebastian and that just seems like such a huge mismatch. Sebastian and Hank! Henry is better, but it’s still really popular here. I think I’d go with Henrik and use Hank as a nickname. I feel like if Hank is a nickname for Henry it could acceptably be one for Henrik.
I’ve liked Hazel for a long time, but it kind of bugs me how popular it’s gotten. Same with Harper.
Hannah is a solid classic.
Harriet is another one that’s been on my list for a while.
Honora, Helene, and Helena are pretty. The multiple pronunciations of Helena do kind of bother me, even though I like the sound of all of them.
For boys I like Holden, Hayes, Hillel. I also know a boy named Hazel and it totally works.
Let’s go with Hazel (nn Hayes) and Harriet.
H: Hazel, Harriet
I: Ivy, Ilan
J: Julia, Julian
K: Katrina, Kade
M: Mirah, Matteo
N: Nadia, Nathaniel
O: Ocean
P: Patrick, Pearl
Q: Quill, Quiara
R: Ramona, Raphael, River
S: Simone, Sylvan, Sage
T: Talia, Theodore
U: Uma, Uriah
V: Vanessa, Vaughn
W: Wednesday, Wade
X: Xiomara, Xavier
Y: Yvonne, Yonatan, Yael
Z: Zora, Zayn
Helena and Heath
Henry & Helena