What Are Your Favorite Baby Names?
A CoJ reader named Apple asked a question that I can’t stop thinking about…
“Can Cup of Jo PLEASE write another baby name post?? I know Jo is maybe no longer in the baby name zone, but there are so many readers who would appreciate a chance to get name ideas from other readers — myself included!”
*Well*, I, too, have been hanging in the baby name department because coming this October, my husband Max and I will be welcoming our third baby, a sweet little girl! We are so excited, and these days all we talk about is who we think our new little nugget will resemble, how Emiliano is going to adjust to being a big brother, and what we think Ella will say the first time she meets her little sister (here’s a video of the first time she met Emiliano).
But the topic that that keeps us up late talking in bed? The baby’s name. We’ve been racking our brains trying to come up with a name that fits, and, you guys, we are struggling!
Back with our first baby, Ella
We had solid plans when we named Ella and Emiliano. As soon as we saw the double lines on our pregnancy test for the first time, both Max and I agreed that if the sex was female, I would choose the name since I already had three names I adored (Ella, Ilana, and Remy). If it was a boy, Max would get to choose the name. Since I ended up getting name rights with Ella, we made a pact that if we had a second kid, Max would get dibs on the first name. He always knew that he wanted to name a son Emiliano, a spin-off of his full name — Maximiliano. So, during my second pregnancy, Max looked over at me with the biggest grin after we opened our doctor’s email and read “presence of a Y chromosome predicts a male fetus.”
This time around, though, we’re trying to decide on a name together. For inspiration, I’ve been clocking every woman’s name that I hear on TV, read in books, and see on Instagram. We also looked at the U.S. Social Security’s 2023 list of most popular names. The top 10 names for girls were:
– Olivia
– Emma
– Charlotte
– Amelia
– Sophia
– Mia
– Isabella
– Ava
– Evelyn
– Luna
The top 10 names for boys were:
– Liam
– Noah
– Oliver
– James
– Elijah
– Mateo
– Theodore
– Henry
– Lucas
– William
We still have five months to brainstorm, but so far we love the names Aaliyah (after the singer) and Margot (short and sweet). I’ve also liked the name Joaquin for a boy, because it sounds so strong.
Now I’d really love to know: what baby names are you into these days? Would you name your baby after a relative or place? Or what about a fictional character? I want to know!
P.S. Why my husband and I gave our daughter my last name‘ and 10 ways to help a new mom.
Tags: baby names
Comments
142 commentsCongratulations! Our girls are – Charlie (Charlotte) Grace Lucy Joy Millie (Emilia) Hope Goldie (Marigold) Faith I have always loved a sweet nickname and I also love how their middle names tie them together.
Expecting our fourth girl as well!! Getting harder as I have them each three of my favorite names already.
I have a Malcolm, Moira and Maisie :).
Done having kids, but if I had a girl I would have called her Aliana and Ale for short. Ale also totally works for a nickname for Aaliyah :-)
Love the name we picked for my daughter, Lane!
We have a Juliette and I’ve never regretted it once! It’s so beautiful and timeless, and not crazy popular either. It works for a kid, especially with nicknames like Julie, and great for an adult. We also have a Kieran. But if he’d been a girl he would have been Molly Rose, which I’m sad I never got to use!
Our boys are Jack (Jackson) and Finn (Finneas) We wanted names that were original, meaning not naming them after a family member or anyone for that matter. Also I have this thing where I don’t like when a name feels too “old” for a baby or too “childish” for an adult. I won’t give any examples for fear of offending someone. It’s honestly a weird tick I have. But both boys names allowed for a shortened/playful version and a longer perhaps more refined name if they choose when older. For now they’re mostly called Jacky and Finny hehe
My son is Jude and my daughter is Audrey. I wanted names that were not too common but also not too out there that would sound good age appropriate for babies, kids, and adults. Our son was a gender surprise and would have been Greer if he was a girl. So far, no one else in our daycare or neighborhood is named Jude or Audrey, except for “Big Boy Jude” as we call him who moved in around the corner.
Choosing a name is one of the first—and hardest—decisions you make as a parent! With both of our kids, we had some pretty specific (and strict!) guidelines. First, it had to be easy to pronounce—unlike my name (Ximena), which constantly gets mispronounced. Since my husband and I are Peruvians living in the U.S., we wanted names that worked well in both Spanish and English. And to make it even trickier, my husband has an Italian last name, and most of the “good” Italian first names were already taken by his family. So now we have a Leo and a Bianca ❤️ Some names I absolutely love but didn’t quite meet our criteria: Boys – Finn, Benjamin, and Massimo Girls – Brunella, Alana, and Mila
Discussing baby names is my absolute favorite chitchat topic – people’s ideas for names are so revealing! Our kids have family names — rationale was that no one can really criticize :) but that hasn’t always been the case…. Our son’s name is Trafford (Ford), and our daughter’s name is Everett. Everyone pushes a nickname for Everett, but we’re happy with her whole name — you can use it to keep the E tradition going! So many congratulations
I was thinking they should continue the E tradition too. I love Everett for a girl. I also love Estelle, Esme, Eva, Elise, Elena and Everly.
This is my favorite thing in the WORLD to talk about. We’re done having kids but I could name a million babies. We use strictly family names, which is pretty common where I’m from, but we aren’t fussy about how far back we go in the family tree. My sons are Vincent Beck (goes by Beck, which is my maiden name) and Franklin Kidd. Pour one out for my unused girl names- Edris (my mom and grandmother’s name), Rose, Nell, and Lucy Clair
I remember advice (maybe even given here on Cup of Jo?) That a child’s name should sound good to call a four year old, sound good in a marriage vow (“Do you First name, Middle name take so and so”) and sound good if they grow up and become a judge (“The Honorable Name”). I’d also add, make it easy/standardized to spell- which will help everything from school to getting a job.
Love this. One of the reasons I chose my daughter’s name was because I could envision an Isabel as a cheerleader or an Isabel as the president (or both! don’t limit yourself).
Does anyone really regret what they named their child? My daughter’s first name is Anna Jo. I was set to name her Anna than she was born on my FIL Joe’s birthday and my husband asked if we could add Jo after him and in my post childbirth haze agreed and have regretted it ever since. I’m from the Midwest but live in CA and failed to take into account that people would pronounce Jo, Ho like in the name Jose. I only call her Anna but the amount of times she has been called Anna Ho boggles my mind. I would legally change it but it would break my husband and FIL’s heart. Ugh..
I won’t reveal what my three children are named, but my miscarriage is named Rosalind Nora, and I have always loved Frederick. He could go by Freddy or Ricky or I could be obnoxious and call him Derry. She could be Roz or Lindy, and she could drive me crazy and choose Rosie, which I would in reality only be slightly annoyed with.
I have a five week old (today!) baby boy and we named him Neil. We wanted something classic, short, but not super, super common. We had girls names locked in but when we found out it was a boy it took us his entire gestation to settle :)
I think Neil was a good choice.
I’ve always loved the name Isla – it feels so timeless and a little bit adventurous. It ended up being the perfect fit for our baby girl. I share a bit about our journey into parenthood and my favorite baby gear on my blog ( https://topbabypicks.com ), and it’s been such a fun way to connect with other moms. It’s amazing how much meaning a name can hold. 💕
My almost 3 year old is also names Isla . We chose it because my husband is from Scotland and we were engaged in the Isle of Islay (pronounced Isla ) and it holds special memories for us. It’s recently become quite popular which disappointed me at first, but knowing it holds meaning for us still makes it special in my eyes.
My daughter’s name is Margot and I love it! She is 9 and currently does *not*love it because people constantly call her Mar-got or Mar-goat. We did a lot of research on the most common way to spell it and with a T was the winner! Hopefully one day she will appreciate it!
How funny that two back to back comments feature my daughter’s names. I’ve just named my newborn Margot! We’ve received so many compliments on it, given that’s it’s still fairly unique but also classic. It’s a beautiful name. When people say they haven’t heard it much I saw “what about Margot Robbie?” Or my recent favourite and heartwarming book Margo’s Got Money Troubles. We chose it because im French and wanted a name with a French sound. I think your daughter will grow to love it.
I have two daughters, both born in the 1990’s. Their names are Leyna Nicole and Nora MacKenzie. If they had been boys, they would have been Miles Bennet and Carter Davis. Congratulations, Jannelle!
We called our little one Nugget while he was in utero, and the nickname is still with him into toddlerhood (although now he’s “Nuggo”). My list of baby names was LONG, but my top 5 boy names were Rafael (Rafi!), Jasper, John, Gabriel, and Henry, and for girls, Lucy, Charlette (Charlie!), Violet, Clementine (Clem!), and Harper.
I think another “E” would be really cute ! Elena / Edie / Etta / Emelia / Eliza / Emmylou / Elaine / Eloise / Este / Estele / Eva / Eda
I agree. Evelyn. Elaine. Emily.
My daughter is called Emeline and son Ernest :)
I lover the name Everly for a girl
My baby girl is Willow Ophelia and I was so set on this first and middle combo with no second guessing that I am now at a complete loss if we were to have another. I’ll have to pin this post for future use, just in case!
Congrats! Another E name would be so sweet. I like Elena or Esme. I’ve also seen Eliana as a variation of my name – the sound fits right in with Ella and Emiliano. :) I have two boys, Arlo and Sebastian <3
I have finished having babies and while I love both my boys’ names, never got to use my favourite girl name. Please someone have a sweet little Imogen for me!
Love Nola with Ella and Emiliano. And while it doesn’t flow with the other kiddos’ names, Gus has always been a favorite of mine and somehow I feel like it would fit :)
We have 3 children and I love the names we picked out for them: Alistair Ulysses Xavier Ewan Imogen Esme I’ve never been too fond of my own name, I feel like it screams “I was born in the 80s” lol
Congratulations! My heart skipped a beat when I saw your little “announcement.” We have three children and I desperately want a 4th, which is insane, but there is something so magical and beautiful and also totally nuts about adding a child to your family. I miss it even though it was hard, of course! I love baby names but I don’t know what to tell you about the E-name decision. Maybe an E middle name, if you do those? I do love Estelle or Esme. I have a little piano student named Elma Mae, which is so cute! If I had a second daughter, I would consider the name Elyse. My kids are: Samuel (goes by Sam, he was Sammy when he was really small) Theodore (goes by Theo) Ingrid (just called Ingrid, sometimes Ingie but she is only 4, so that cutesy nickname will fade eventually) I like strong names. All of my kids also have a grandparent’s name as a middle name. The connection back to their family history is something that felt good and important to us. (And we’re lucky to have good relationships with our parents) Congratulations again! 💛🩵🩷
Estelle is my daughter’s name! She is almost 7, often is called Stelly, and I still love it so much. I have only ever met one other Estelle who was under the age of 90 ;) the other 6-year-old Estelle was on an opposing soccer team, and when the other mom and I heard each other cheering on our Estelles, we rushed over to each other to find out the story behind the name.
Oh, Elyse! I love that!
May I suggest – my children’s names :) Ramona Celine (Mona) Althea Taeko (Thea) Donovan Lund (Van) Most anyone could tell that I labored (lol) over deciding their names, but feel like they should be more popular than they are (we live in Colorado, I’m German/norwegian, dad is Japanese)
I read the headline and just knew it was Janelle announcing a pregnancy, and then I thought…”oooh, maybe there’ll be a pic of her hunky husband!” And there he is, holding a baby no less! Congratulations to the whole fam. :)
Congrats! I just got home after spending an early Mother’s Day with my mom and settled in a couch nest to read this post and all the name options. Ended up falling down a ChatGPT rabbit hole with combinations of your names. While some were off-the-wall (Janiloa & Zanima, anyone?), I liked Maximilienne, the feminine (& French) version of Maximiliano. Love that it also has a similar vibe to your name (according to ChatGPT, the “lienne” ending “softly echoes” the “elle/nelle” at the end of your name. My ChatGPT has a lot of personality. Nicknames could be Millie, Mimi or Mila.
Oh my gosh this is so fun haha. Thank you! xx
Pediatric nurse here- had to chime in with beautiful name I heard this morning- Esmeralda (after the grandma) calling her Esme, big brother called her his baby Essie! Congratulations to your family!! I’m tucking away your husbands name for my maybe future baby!
Congratulations, Janelle!! Our friends just had a girl and named her Juniper, which I love.
Congratulations on your baby girl! How wonderful. When I was pregnant with my daughter, before we knew the sex of the baby, we started with a list of “absolute no” names (exes, bad associations, names we just didn’t like) and then thought about people in our lives, included fictional characters, who we would want our child to emulate. Once we found out the baby was a girl, I immediately knew she had to be named for my grandmother, Emma, who I adore. My husband picked our daughter’s middle name (Brave) which ended up being a more drawn out process to land on her middle name but honestly both names fit her so perfectly, I wouldn’t change a thing. Samuel was our boy name, I don’t know if we’ll ever get to use but I can only think of helpful and kind friends named Sam in books/media so that my only helpful advice when selecting a name.
Jane, since your name is Janelle and you have an Ella already :)
I love this idea! If I ever had twin girls, we’d name them Elli and Betti — this way, the three of us would cover all parts of Elisabeth :) (Which was originally supposed to be my name until my parents decided no one would actually call me that, and landed on Lisa)
Help! 37 weeks pregnant and we still need a boy name. If our baby is a girl we’ll name her Marlowe, Mari for short. But we still can’t agree on a boy name. I like more unusual/less common names, my husband is more traditional. Our two year old is Nolan, Noli for short. It’s the perfect name for him, and we can’t find a boy name we love as much. Ideas so far: Hayes, Alden, Aiden, Austin, Hudson, Milo… any other ideas?
I have a Nolan too! He’s 5 and his nickname is No-No which is funny because he’s very much a yes-person! I love Marlowe! Nolan’s older brother is Ian which is perfect because when clothes get handed down I just add a No in front of Ian and it becomes Nolan’s shirt. I definitely did not plan that but it cracks me up!
I have a Wes Henry, and he often goes by Wessie! Noli and Wes could be sweet!
I named my son Cedar, and the other names we considered were Bastian, Oslo, Loren, and Mason
Named our son Tadhg (anglicized can be Taig or Teague). It’s pronounced like “tig” in “tiger,” which is his nickname. 3 months in and I still think it’s cute!
No recommendations, just solidarity! I, too, am 37 weeks pregnant and we can’t agree on a boy name. The way I cheered when I saw this post earlier in the week 🤣
We named my son Afton, which you sometimes see as a female name but it’s pretty unusual, yet easy to pronounce. I love Alder and Milo too!
When I had my second son last year I really wanted Marlow as a boys name. I even tried suggesting it at the last minute in between contractions/pushing! Alas my husband vetoed it, but you could always use Marlow as a boys name!
My 5 year boy is named Alistair. We love it! It feels traditional but also very unique.
We, too, have a Nolan. His older brother is Wyatt. I love Theo, Henry and Elliott. More traditional but still not common where we live.
I feel like we have similar taste in names! Most of those wee on my list! I have 2 girls and a boy named Beckett. He just turned 4 and I love it so much still.
Milo was my favorite for much of my pregnancy and then another name wormed its way into my conscience: Years before I’d heard a neighbourhood boy call for his friend Danilo and it kind of stuck. I find it elegant for a boy man of any age and yet quite unusual. there are some Brazilian/Portuguese football and basketball players of that name and of course the count in the Merry Widow.
Jonas, August, Linus, Otis! Some of my favourites and I can see them all going well with Nolan (especially Jonas and Linus).
I just had a baby boy three weeks ago, and we named him Simon. I love it (obviously, I chose it). It’s class but not common. It’s sweet and playful for a baby and child but also works for an adult.
We’re done with kids but two names that were on our shortlist that might work for you are Gus, Evan or Dominic.
I love how many Nolan’s there are! Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions and just in time! Baby boy arrived yesterday… We seriously considered Wesley/Wes, Milo, Alden and landed with… Indy! Thank you for this wonderful community and all the beautiful names.
My mom’s middle name was Emmeline which is French. I would shorten it to Emme or Em. I love it and wish I would have used it for my daughter.
My vote is Michele which is my mother’s name and I feel a very underutilised name that I never see on these lists. Also, listen to Michelle by the Beatles. When I was a kid I had a Polish friend whose name is Ewa (pronounced Ee-vah – which was very exotic by South African primary school standards) and for some reason I always knew if we had a daughter that I would name her Eva. Her second name is Michele :) My son’s name is Axel which we chose specifically because it went so well with our family’s surname, and also felt strong and wise (meaning “father of peace” in Old Norse / Norwegian). PS Congratulations Jannelle xx
my middle name is Michelle for the Beatles song!
If you ever get this deep into the comments – I think another E name might be in the cards. I think Esme would be a beautiful addition to the names you’ve already chosen. They flow together well!
Esha Eva Eveline Esme Congratulations!! So excited for you, I had a third in ‘23 and it’s NUTS but the best kind. I named her Sarojini after two of my great grandmothers, Suki is her nickname.
We have an Evelene! I think you should stick with the E theme, Janelle!
I have two daughters- Sylvia and Gracie. For Gracie I knew before I even got pregnant what her name would be and I still love it. Syl was on a long list but decided the minute they set her on me. She looked just like a Sylvia.
I have a Bear, August, and Rose. Didn’t really plan on having three nouns, but sometimes I visualize a bear holding a rose under the sun. and it makes me smile
This is a sweet visual. :)
Our son is named Samuel. A very strong and practical name. We aren’t going to have any more kids but I’ve always loved the name Kestrel for a girl.
Selena!!!!!
Congratulations! I haven’t told many people yet, but I’m also pregnant, it’ll be my second and I’m due in November! For girls I love a longer name that can create a bunch of adorable nicknames: Alexandria – so many options! Alex, Andie, Alexa, Alexia, Lexi, Andria, Aly to name a few. Charlotte – Charley, Lola, Lottie Juliette – Jules, Julie, Ettie Gabriella – Gabi, Abby, Brie, Ella Then for boys I’m quite the opposite. I like a short and cool name: Leo, Max, Levi, Jack, Ace, Ash, Finn, Graham, Miles/Milo.
Aww congratulations to you as well! All of those names are so sweet. xoxo
My daughter’s name is Paloma and I’m so in love with it. I met someone named Paloma in college and then learned that Picasso’s daughter is Paloma Picasso-was hooked on the name 15 years before I had her. The only downside is that I sometimes wish I would’ve given her a more gender neutral name so that she didn’t feel locked into a feminine binary. We do call her Birdie (Paloma means dove), so she has that going for her!
I love the name Paloma! I also love Inez and Pilar – but those are all Spanish names and I’m married and living with an Italian in Italy. We decided on giving our 2nd daughter the middle name Ines, which is the Italian version.
Congratulations!! I have friend Alia (pronounced like Aaliyah) and I also love the name Isla/Aila :)
Love the name Oona for a girl. My sister named her daughter Artemis which is another one I love.
Go with Margot, that would’ve been the name I picked if I’d had a third. Plus, I bet the older two will call her “Go go”, which is the cutest nickname ever.
omg wait that is such a cute nickname!
Phew! That is cute!
CoJ hivemind, what are your thoughts on converting a familiar word (transient verb) into a name by removing the final two letters? I’ve never seen it as a name before, but it’s Latin, so easy spelling; beautiful sound, lovely meaning, and a name my husband has wanted for a future daughter since he was young. Spelling and pronunciation are very obvious if one has an average vocabulary, but I worry that an uncommon name, however “easy”, may still be a burden.
Holy moly. OK wait is it a common Latin word or a common word with a Latin root, or becomes a Latin word when the last two letters are removed? If you want to give more clues (or give us the source word), I’m all ears. Also, anything can be a burden or a blessing and they’re usually both. Ease is so relative. My name is Adriana, and I go by Ana. Do most people mispronounce my name at first? Yes. Do I adore my name, and has the process of protecting the pronunciation of my name helped shape me as a person? Absolutely.
Hey Erin, I have an uncommon name and while it definitely builds character (explaining, spelling and countering comments from a young age) and I would 100percent say go for it! Would also definitely choose an uncommon name for my children. I enjoy that my name is as individual as I am!! I agree that anything can be a burden and no matter which name you choose, there will be something that other children will make fun about so that should not stop you from choosing a name you love :)
I’d like to see the return of more classsic, “grandma” type names. Gertrude, Hazel, Mabel, Mary, Anne, Louise, Bess, Jean, Wilma, Joan.
My daughter is Peggy and we have yet to meet another Peggy under 60 years old 😂
Here for the grandma names! My daughter is Barbara, after her grandma, and we have yet to met another young Babs!
My neighborhood elementary school has an flashing announcement and just today, I saw a “Happy 11th birthday, Joan! Love Mom, Dad, Nancy, Dolores, and Rodney. It felt like I’d been transported back to the 1920s, and I’m here for it!
My second name is Barbara, after my amazing grandma.
My 18 month old daughter is Penelope and I think it’s the cutest! It’s fun to say and feels classic without being overused. My family calls her Penny but I just love saying her full name.
Grandma (and Grandpa) names are definitely on the rise and trending right now. I see Mabel, Anne, Hazel, Louise/Louisa, and Joan/Joni come up a lot in baby name discussions on reddit. Along with Sylvia, Eleanor, Josephine, Beatrice, and Evelyn. I haven’t seen Wilma mentioned but a tiny little Wilma would be very cute!
One of my grandmothers was named Louise, and I love that name! Have met and heard of several Mables and many Hazels born in the 2010s and 2020s — would love to see all the others come back too!
I feel like this is already happening? At least where I live in the northeast US
I’m all for this! I named my daughter Rosemary with the nickname Rosie. Love it so much, an often overlooked collapsible and expandable grandma name with great plant/floral imagery.
My granddaughter is named Hazel. She’s 9. I love that it’s an old fashioned name.
Hello from a milennial Barbara! I’m heartened to see that this old lady name is still being used, even if it’s not the most popular of the old lady names. I’m named after my great grandmother, and my mom. And I can count on one hand the number of Barbaras I’ve met that are my age or younger. But it works for me!
Anne here with daughters Mary and Betty.
My son is Howard (called Howard, lol) and our daughter is Mary Lucinda, called Mary Luci. Old people names unite!
I do think they’re making a comeback in certain pockets. I live in Seattle and my 11-year old daughter has friends named Hazel and Mabel, as well as Violet, and plays hockey with a different Violet and a Louise.
They’re so perfect. Not common, but recognizable. I’ve got a Beatrice and a Felix, which also work on lots of different languages.
In my group of gal friends we have a surprising group of “vintage” names for all our little gals (unplanned that it is so!). We have: Alba, Margery, Willamina (Willa), Prudence, Dorothy (Dot) and Josephine. Love these older names!
How are people in interracial/intercultural relationships choosing names? We have a short list of names from our respective countries, and want to find names that honor where we both come from. Are you choosing first names from one culture and last names from another? Finding one of few names that could ambiguously be from either? Going all in on names from one place, and maybe rotating so first kid has a full name from X country, second kid has a name from Y? We can’t decide!
We have decided to go with Italian first and last names for our daughter Gaia Lucia. Her Dad comes from southern Italy but she is growing up in a small village in the Austrian Alps. We wanted her to carry some piece of Italy with her, a reminder that this too is part of who she is. Also, im Austria people always ask her about her unusual name and it gives Gaia the chance to talk about her background. Even now, at age 4. :)
We went for names that are easy to say in both languages but that are the same origin as the surname (the father’s) because otherwise the name as a whole sounded a bit off. Their middle names are tied to my family and language.
My best friend and her husband are immigrants from two different countries. Their first child has an “international name” with roots in Arabic, African, Dutch, German, Hebrew, Māori, Sanskrit, and Swedish, and which all relatives can easily pronounce. The second has a “zero-effort” American name with a nickname all relatives can easily pronounce. Any approach works, just so long as everyone who loves them can say their name. :)
I had parameters for choosing a name. It, suffice to say, drove my husband a little bonkers because some of it seems a little much. Bless his heart, he went with it, telling me to narrow it down to the top three and then he would help me choose. Haha! I wanted our daughter’s name to represent both sides of the family, look good in print and in cursive, also have an ascender or a descender as well as not be easily turned into a grade school taunt -whew!! In any case, I found a name, and she has her in her first name, father’s maternal heritage represented, my maiden name as a middle name (my heritage represented), a given name (from orphanage, she is adopted), and her father’s paternal last name. It coincidentally has an ascender and a descender, and I must say, her initials can create an awesome little logo! Haha!!
My Australian partner and I (Dutch) are expecting our first in November! The baby will have my last name – which is four syllables and impossible to pronounce in any country but the Netherlands. Working internationally, it’s been a great source of amusement, and I’m looking forward to sharing the fun with my child, haha. For first names, we’re looking at names that work in multiple languages – Kleo, Otis, Etta, Kai – and we may add a second name linked to his background, like his mum’s last name (Karen) or the name of a river near where he grew up.
My husband and I are1st generation Australian, my parents and 3 older siblings born in Italy. I gave my 2 kids Italian names to always have a link to their heritage.
I know families who have done both! My husband and I are from similar/overlapping cultures, so our main consideration was making sure the names on our list were also easy for his parents to pronounce (their first language isn’t English), but we know lots of people who have only shortlisted names that exist in both/all cultures, and others who have done a mix of names from both/all cultures. Most of our friends who have done a mix have done four names total for each kid, and alternated the order in the name “Culture 1 – Culture 2 – Culture 1 – Culture 2”, so if they end up just getting called by their first and last name, both cultures are still represented. As a mixed-culture kid myself, I personally wouldn’t do all one culture for one kid – mostly because both kids belong to both cultures! But also because giving both kids a mix also gives them an extra connection to each other, and because you never know what your path will be, and if you’re only able to have one baby both cultures will still be represented. Just my two cents!
I would love to know the name! “ Their first child has an “international name” with roots in Arabic, African, Dutch, German, Hebrew, Māori, Sanskrit, and Swedish, and which all relatives can easily pronounce.”
We have a Mexican + German American background and wanted something with a similar pronunciation across all three languages. We went with Luisa as a first name — she has the second names of both grandmothers (one of which is my middle name as well), which roots her strongly to both sides of her family. It took a lot of discussion but we are very happy with the final result!
I always wanted to name my daughter Claire, and I did. However, I’m married to an Italian and now we live in Italy. Her middle name is Italian, but yeah…Claire sounds like “Cleo” if you had a speech impediment to an Italian, and it’s also difficult for Italians to pronounce the “air” noise. Also, her name looks like it should be pronounced “Cly-E-Ray” in the Italian alphabet. All of that to say that I don’t regret it because it’s a name I’ve loved since I was 15, and everyone around her has gotten used to it and how it should be spelled. So yeah, I didn’t go by “let’s name our child something that’s easy to pronounce in both languages” because I loved the name and people CAN and will learn if you teach them and have patience. She loves it (she’s 8).
Congratulations!!! I have two boys, and they are Wesley and Eli. Two other boys names I love are Everett and Leonardo, which are my boys middle names. I haven’t had to think too hard about girl names but I don like Sylvia, which was my great-grandmother’s name, and Blaire.
My youngest is “Archie.” We’re constantly asked if its a family name…no. Or short for Archibald….no. Or “Archer”….also no. But we love it and it suits him. If he had been a girl, his name would have been Florence with the nickname “Wren.”
I also have an Archie that would’ve been Florence had he been a girl!?! How funny our tastes align so closely!
I have two boys, Wyatt and Henry ;) Love love love both names so much.
Joaquin is such a great boy name. I also love Jude. Another reader mentioned Emina for a girl, Emi is so sweet. Elyse is another girl favorite if you’re keeping with the E theme.
Congrats, Janelle! My friends and their firstborn all have names starting with an L, so everyone expected their second child to be named accordingly with an L-name. They surprised us by choosing a name with a double L in the middle. If you wanted to break the pattern you could choose a name with all Es, like Mercedes or Helene. An E-Name I like is Electra.
I recommend talking to teachers and nicu/obgyn/pediatric nurses about the name choices you’re considering. They will tell you straight up if your bespoke heritage name is actually that unique. I’m not going to yuck anyone’s yum, but as a teacher, I have so many of the names listed here, sometimes 3 or 4 repeats in the same class.
I agree. My daughter’s kindergarden class had two Quinns! Definitely talk to childcare providers!
Amen. The names people are putting here… it’s a lot. And everyone thinks they’re being unique…I promise they aren’t!
Congratulations!! Aaliyah and Margot are lovely options! The site Nameberry.com is great for name ideas and everyone is very friendly and helpful in the forums! Here are some other ideas for you: E names: Eden Edie Evelina Evangeline Evanthe Eva Eve Essie Estie Non-E names: Lucia Ines Mia Maya Aya Ramona Liliana Livia
I have an Eden and we call her Edie <3
I actually LOVE Eden. And the nickname Edie is soooo cute.
We have an Eden too! We planned to call her Edie but never have even once (she’s such an Eden). Are you looking for another E name option to stick with the theme or were the first two E names random? All our kids names end in -n but it wasn’t on purpose.
Male: Artúr, Emil Female: Alíz, Gertrúd
We have a 2.5yo and 1 month old and really struggled to pick from a long list of names we loved, and we didn’t find out the gender. Now we have a Freya Sophie and a Jasper Felix. Watching our toddler become a big sister to baby Jasper has just been so beautiful.
We have a 2.5yo and 1 month old and we struggled picking from a long list for both our kids and also didn’t know the gender in advance but now we have a Freya Sophie and a Jasper Felix. Big sister loooves her baby Jasper which is the sweetest little bond to see forming.
Love the names Angourie and Milada. Also love Bria, Indy, Jasey, Tana and Zana.
Eliot Ferne Betsy Alice So many pretty names!
I like Emily for a girl and Ludo for a boy.
My son has curly blonde hair and everyone thinks he’s a girl. People will say oh she’s so cute what’s her name ? I respond Marco and everyone EVERYBODY says I love the name Margot. At which point I give up trying to explain haha. We recently met another Marco and they said the exact same thing happens to them constantly. I
My daughter is Margaux and the first time at the pool she heard “Marco…Polo” she thought people kept calling out for her! :)
I have taken care of an adorable patient named Loda since she was born and have always loved her name.
When I was a kid growing up in Rome, I was impressed by this family who named their girls Verde and Azzurra. I also had a friend named Maria Sole, and she knew a Maria Luna and a Maria Stella- their moms must have all been besties.
My grandmother’s name was Margaret Emeline. My daughter’s middle name is also Emeline. I think it’s lovely.
Hi Janelle I love the names of your children. Somehow I can picture a Leila, Leona, or Zola
We named our third (and first girl) Ottelie, which means “brave in battle.” I found the name while I was waiting in the hospital lobby; I knew she would be having open heart surgery shortly after birth, so the name seemed life a blessing and a rallying cry. And it was! (Now, most days, we call her Otter.)
Congrats, Janelle! If I were going for a third and it was a girl I would choose Sylvie :)
I have a Sylvie. Sylvie Rose. Sylvie means “child of the forest”. We live in Oregon. It suits her well
I love two “boy” names for a girl – Elliott and Evan! Elliott and Ella may be too similar but I just think being an Evan girl is so badass and beautiful lol
Yes to Evan! I wanted to use this for my daughter (or for a boy, if we were having one) but we live in Spain and her dad’s fam is Mexican, so everyone was going to pronounce it “eee-vahn,” which was not cool with me 😂 We also liked Rowan, Vivienne, Brigitte, and Simone