S. writes:<\/p>\n
I hope you choose my question, because I am seriously at my wits end. My husband and I are expecting our fourth child, a girl. We are that crazy couple that picked out names before we conceived, and with the first three it worked perfectly. We have Hanna Elise, James Lee (named after both our mothers) and Arty Nathaniel. We decided some time ago that we both liked Abigail, but we never could settle on a middle name. My husband would like to use Abigail as the middle name, still using it as the primary name, and put the secondary name first (he goes by his middle name, Brady, so it is not strange to him, but I really don’t like this suggestion). Our last name Self is so short, that I cannot find a middle name that flows well that we both like. My husband would prefer a one syllable middle name (because our last name is one syllable) if we put Abigail first. His top pick was Livia Abigail Self. It is pretty on paper and flows alright, but I think most people would think Livia was a nickname, AND it still pushes Abigail into weird second place. I like names with lovely meanings, and I would love a soft, gentle, feminine name. My top picks were: Emmeline, Irene, Cora, Rosalie\/Rosaline, Amalie, Ella…<\/p>\n
I agree with my husband that none of these sound great with Abigail first, but I am having trouble finding soft, feminine, classic yet not boring names with one syllable.<\/p>\n
If you could offer any suggestions I would be very grateful!!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
Some of your husband’s preferences are puzzling me. I would in fact avoid one-syllable middle names with a one-syllable surname because of the potential for a choppy sound, but that can just be a matter of personal preference. What puzzles me is that he wants a one-syllable middle name only if the first name is Abigail and not if it’s Livia, when Livia and Abigail have the same rhythm; and he’s campaigning to have Abigail, which is not one syllable, used as the middle name. It seems like it’s setting up this kind of loop:<\/p>\n
1. Abigail can be in the first-name position, but only with a one-syllable middle name.
\n2. None of the one-syllable names work.
\n3. So we have to put the first name in the middle-name position.
\n4. But you don’t want that, even though your husband does.
\n5. So you have to look for a one-syllable middle name that works.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It seems that he would like the solution to be “So we have to put Abigail as the middle name.” But you don’t like that idea. So I’d cut through this fruitless cycle by making two new rules for the name search:<\/p>\n
1. The first name will be put in the first-name position.
\n2. The middle name doesn’t have to be only one syllable.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If your husband’s top pick is Livia Abigail Self, then it seems to me like the choice that makes the most sense is to name her Abigail Livia Self, which has the same rhythm but puts the first name more conveniently in the first-name position. Another that would work with a slightly different rhythm is Abigail Olivia Self.<\/p>\n
(Before we go any further, I want to make a note that with initials A._.S., I’m going to be avoiding all middle names starting with S.)<\/p>\n