Hi Swistle!
I have been a long-time reader and absolutely love your blog! My husband and I are expecting our second (and final) child, a girl, this fall. Our last name is a different spelling of Woodruff.
We have an almost 2-year-old named Mila whose name we absolutely love. She is named for my grandmother Mildred, in the Jewish tradition of honoring a family member who has passed with a variation of the name/same first letter. Her middle name is P@rkes, which is a family name (my husband’s mother’s maiden name/middle name). Mila happens to work perfectly with both my Jewish/Eastern European heritage and my husband’s Hispanic heritage. This is an awesome added benefit, however hard to find and certainly not required for this baby’s name.
We have a few names in mind, but despite lots of searching and discussing (and reading through so many entries of your blog!) have not yet found the one! I am feeling stuck.
We ideally want to honor family members and some potential ways to do this would be names starting with H, J, or L (or maybe E but I don’t love the initials EW), however we are not limiting ourselves to these as it’s more important to us that we give her a name we love.
Names we both like:
Lucy – this was a front runner from our last pregnancy. We both really like it but aren’t sure it’s the one.
Hallie – another front runner, we both really like this and it would honor my grandfather Harold who went by Hal. I am worried that she would constantly be having to explain that it’s Hallie and not Haley.
Harper – newer addition to the list and we both like it but not sure it’s the one, it’s been growing on me more quickly than my husband though I do worry it’s too popular being top 10, also someone in my friend group has a daughter with this name, my preference is not to know people personally with a name so it feels more unique but realize this is silly especially since they live out of state and we rarely see them :)
Emma – we both really like it, though it feels to me too common (#2 name!!) and maybe too plain. It feels so close but not sure it’s the one. I think I prefer Emmi/Emmy/Emmie though my husband does not. I like the idea of Emme but not how hard it is to pronounce, I wouldn’t have known how to say it without reading your blog :)
Zoe/Zoey – we both do like the name, even though we can’t agree on the spelling :)We like the middle name James, if the first name is clearly feminine like Lucy or Hallie or Emma, and it would honor several family members and a close family friend. But with a more unisex sounding name like Harper or Hadley, we would want a more feminine middle name. We are open to other middle names, maybe beginning with J in memory of the people mentioned above as well as my cousin Jill, however not required.
Some other names I like but my husband doesn’t are Addison (Addie), Ainsley, Chloe, Eloise, Sloane.
Names my husband likes are:
Molly – prob his favorite, and I do like it. It’s a cute name we considered for Mila but it feels too similar to me. I don’t want another M name as it is important to me for each girl to have her own initials, also my husband’s name starts with an M so I would be the only one without an M name other than our dog :). (Mine starts with H and another reason I like the H names for this baby is the symmetry of 2 M’s and 2 H’s. Again not required.)
Ashley (I like the name but don’t want to name our baby this as it feels 80s to me, also we know a lot of Ashleys)
Hannah (don’t love, wouldn’t say I necessarily dislike it but some associations I can’t get over and def not the one)Some other names we both like but either don’t think we like enough or don’t want to use (friends with the name, associations, etc.) are Adeline, Berkeley, Brooklyn, Callie, Grace, Hadley. It is possible we could be convinced so open to thoughts if any of these stand out to you.
We are stuck and would love your suggestions! It would be great to get your thoughts on the above names if something is standing out to you, or other names we should be considering. Also on what names go well with sibling Mila? Thanks!!!
The one that stands out to me is Hallie. I think you’d periodically have to correct someone who thought it was the more common Haley, but that it wouldn’t be at deal-breaking levels—and once people DID know it was Hallie, they wouldn’t KEEP getting it wrong, so you’d mostly be dealing with in it non-important situations where there’s no need to correct it if you don’t feel like it (e.g., you’re waiting for a prescription and the clerk calls out “For Haley?” to let you know it’s ready).
Hallie has a lot going for it. It starts with one of the initials you were hoping for; but also your grandpa went by Hal, which makes an even better story, and also a good first-three-letters parallel for Mildred/Mila. It gives you the unnecessary-but-fun two M’s and two H’s in your family. It feels like a good fit with Mila in sound and in femininity and in confusion/difficulty levels.
I feel a little weary of the trend of giving baby girls the middle name James (we don’t have a corresponding trend of giving baby boys the middle name Jane), but it’s good with Hallie and for you it would honor several family members, and it coordinates nicely with your first child’s middle name.
Would others like to champion their own picks from the list, or suggest additional options?
Name update:
Hi Swistle –
Thank you so much to you and your readers for your input! We are excited to share that we welcomed our daughter Lucy J@mes Woodruff.
We loved the name Hallie on paper (for all of the reasons you and your readers did), but kept trying it out by saying it out loud to each other and had mixed feelings on the sound; it didn’t feel like the one. I also knew the pronunciation issues would bother me (confirmed by my annoyance when I tried using it for my Starbucks order and received a cup that said “Haley”).
Lucy’s name fits her perfectly and we have gotten lots of compliments on it! Also – added bonus – the way her big sister says “Ooh-sie” is pretty adorable
With your older daughter’s name, I would recommend giving your younger daughter an initial connecting her to a relative, as well. I think I would feel left out if I didn’t have that. I like Hallie, and I think you could help eliminate any issues by saying “this is Hallie, like Halley’s comet” ( I know it’s spelled differently, but I believe it’s pronounced the same).
If Harper isn’t quite right, what about Harlow? It keeps the H, even though it loses the Hal- beginning.
Just want to chime in and say that as a Lexa I am often called Alexa or Lexi, but once I correct people, it really isn’t a thing. And like Swistle says, I am now pretty used to responding to anything close to my name if it is called at a restaurant. I really like Hallie for all the reasons. I say go for it.
I have always loved the names Leona and Lena if you really decide you want to go with a L.
I like Lucy for you. The fact that it’s been a front-runner for two pregnancies indicates it’s not a flash in the pan for you.
LOVE Hallie for you. Can I say, as a Molly, it has a very similar vibe? Plus the Parent Trap factor means it’s familiar to a lot of people. Oooh, what about Holly? Hallie + Molly. And it’s not currently very popular, which helps brings out the pretty nature vibe of it for me.
I’ll throw out Hattie, Haddie and Hadley as names that seem to mesh with your other H favorites, although I see Hadley is on your no-go list. There’s Hayden, but it doesn’t seem to quite fit. Ditto for Harley and Heidi.
Was coming to suggest Holly! Glad to see it suggested. I think Holly takes away the pronunciation issues, has the same levels of honour and is not too similar Mila. Mila & Holly sound lovely together
Lucy, Hallie, and Harper all sound great with Mila! I feel like Hallie is well known enough to not get mistaken for Haley too often. I’d also suggest as honor names…
Eleanora
Elena
Eliana
Harriet
Hazel
Juliet
June
Juniper
Lainey
Lennon
Lenora
Lily
Luna
Lyra
And some other names that I think sound nice with Mila…
Ada
Georgia
Iris
Ivy
Olive
Rosalie
Ruby
Sloane
Willow
Hallie seems ideal! (Halle Berry gives a famous point of reference for people).
Mila and Hallie Woodruff
I agree that Lena would be excellent, too. (It’s Eastern European and Hispanic). No one will mispronounce it; there’s only one dominant spelling.
Mila and Lena Woodruff
You don’t sound enthusiastic about the initial E, but… Eva would check all the same boxes as Lena.
Mila and Eva Woodruff
Classic Joy might suit your daughter, too.
Mila and Joy Woodruff
Luna or Leda might appeal. (Although “Mila & Leda” is a trick to say).
Congratulations and best wishes!
I have to disagree that no one will mispronounce Lena. I’ve never actually heard it before (only seen it in print), and I’m honestly not sure whether the correct pronunciation is LEE-na or LAY-na. LEH-na wouldn’t surprise me either.
My first instinct would probably be LEE-na, FWIW, but I know that would be incorrect in Spanish.
My daughter is Lena (LEE-na) and many people say LAY-na.
I actually know a Hallie! But her name is spelled Halle if that appeals. I think it brings the HAHL sound out more and also gives it the reference of the Daphne, Phoebe category of first syllable + Greek ee sound. Then again, it might make things MORE complicated. Regardless I’m not worried-I pronounced it right on the first read through.
Ooh or another way of helping folks the first time would be “like Allie with an H” That’s easy
Hallie is perfect, please use it! As another poster said, Halle Berry helps with the pronunciation — have you considered that spelling to help with pronunciation? I don’t think with the Halle Berry association that I’d ever pronounce Halle as Haley, but I also love the spelling Hallie. Either way, sweet family connection, gets you the double M/double H, it’s perfect, you found it! Jumping on the bandwagon of support for going for it!
I’m here for Halle. Spelled that way – it looks more finished and elegant.
Love Halle James. I get the reluctance to jump on the James in the middle bandwagon for girls, but I like that it honours people for you, and it’s a surname, like P@rkes. To me, surnames belong to everyone. Total balance between the girls.
I also thought of Holly, a long-time love of mine. I see someone else has suggested it too. But I honestly think you don’t have to go farther than Halle. It hits so many check boxes, it’s a gem!
If your husband’s Hispanic heritage means he has Spanish speakers in the family I’d focus on names starting with the letter L. H is silent in Spanish, so Hallie is pronounced “Allie.” J is pronounced like H so Jenny is “Henny”. You may not mind the different pronunciations, but you said you’d like names that work with both cultures.
I think Lena is just beautiful, as is Lorna. Mila and Lena. Mila and Lorna. Julia
I agree that H and J names might not translate as smoothly to Spanish as L names (but maybe that’s not really a top priority?). I was wondering if you might like Lucia as a slightly different spin on Lucy? I also think Leora/Liora is beautiful and the Liora spelling would be pronounced similarly in English and Spanish.
Lucia is genius
Does extending the name Emma to Emmaline change the name for you? (Pronounced Emma-Lynne). A friend named her girl Emmaline and I loved it so much.
My daughter is Emmeline (pronounced Emma-Line) – named for a character in Anne of Green Gables. We never have it mispronounced, especially not Emma-Lynn. Just another option, and we call her Emmy.
Love Hallie (or Halle) and I think you should use it! In the alternative, one of the names I wanted to use but my husband vetoed was Holland. I still love it.
Hallie seems like a great pick for you. I wonder if you would also like Hattie, either as a stand-alone name, or as a nickname for Harriet? That lets you keep the connection to Harold, while eliminating the “Haley” confusion.
What about Harlow? It’s similar to Harper but is more uncommon and could honor Hal?
Hallie/Halle gets my vote! Great sound, great rationale! Lucy is fantastic too.
Only names I thought of that weren’t mentioned yet are: Josie, Jovie, and Jodie (also Jessie, Julie, Jenny, but they seemed a bit too 80s).
Hallie is one of my favorite names! As mentioned above, it also makes me think of Parent Trap. Just want to give a warning that the twins names are Hallie Parker and Annie James. Not that it’s a bad association but Hallie James gives major Parent Trap vibes.
What about Zella?
With regards to Hallie, I am a Marissa. People inevitably hear it as Melissa and it’s never caused me an ounce of angst. I wouldn’t let it keep you from a beautiful name.
As another Marisa, I’ve almost never been mistaken for a Melissa, BUT I have loads of misspellings, even by people who’ve known me over a decade. I’m not sure whether Hallie or Halle would be easier to wear, and she’ll likely have to correct people either way.
Oh, I like Hallie! Nice connection to Grandpa Hal, too.
Yeah, I wouldn’t pair Molly with Mila, either. Those two would be as prone to being confused with each other as Hallie and Hayley. Holly would be a good alternate
I was coming here to suggest Emmeline and Lucia, so I’m glad to see commenters above suggesting them.
Julia or Juliana could work well.
And I agree with everyone that Hallie is terrific.
Just wanted to throw out Esmae as another option!
Hallie is a perfect name for your baby!
If you don’t end up choosing Hallie, what about Hollis? I’ll also throw out Ellis or Ellison! Ooh and Emilin. For L, Leah, Laine and Landry. For J, I too really like Jovie. There’s also Jolie and Joelle. Congratulations!!
I know a Hallie! She’s a grandma now. Also named for a Hal, and she likes her name. Not misheard often, she reports.
And as someone with EW initials for over four decades, nobody else has ever seemed to notice them and they don’t bother me, so I wonder if that could be a non-issue masquerading as an issue, should you like an E name?
I think Hallie is a great fit with Mila: each name is similar to the name of one of your grandparents and, as you said, Mila’s name begins with the same letter as her dad’s name and Hallie’s name would begin with the same letter as her mom’s names. Holly would work in the same way and be close to your husband’s favorite Molly.
One of my daughters named her daughters similarly: the older girl and her dad share the beginning initial M and the younger girl and her mom share the beginning initial C. That’s always been very special in their family.
For the middle name, is there a special woman in your husband’s family (mom, grandmother, etc.) whose Spanish name would sound pretty with Hallie or Holly, thus giving a nod to your husband’s side too? Or a Spanish surname (or male name) that you like that would reflect her Hispanic heritage too?
For some reason, Hallie strikes me as a bit unfinished, especially next to Mila which seems like a full name to me. I agree with many names that have been mentioned (particularly Elena, Lena, and Eva). So what about…
Luisa
It honours her Spanish side, it works as an honour letter. And Mila and Luisa sound amazing together!! Of course, Louisa would be just as pretty. Or Louise. I kind of love Mila and Louise. It sounds like a storybook! These are my favourite options.
The only other name I could think of that hasn’t been mentioned I don’t think is:
Lyla. Mila and Lyla. Lovely!!
Just here to say I totally agree about the middle name James. Why do names only go one direction? Why does it somehow sound fresh and cool to use a “boy” name for “girl” but never the other way around?! Why are “gender neutral” things so often just boyish? Why aren’t dresses or headbands or anything feminine ever considered neutral? Because I was so fired up about this I gave my son the middle name Allison (after a very important person in our lives) so it isn’t Jane but like to think it is a start.
I also agree with all that you’ve said about James as a middle name. My son’s name is James, and while I don’t mind at all if we feminize the name James, I just want it to be applied equally to girls’ names. Like if we have Ava James, we have to also have John Isabella. And you see – the gut feeling there is “weird”. I feel like people would react very poorly if we took those feminine names and used them on boys. Which is completely unfair given this rise in using James as a girls’ middle.