We Need A Girl's Name
Now that we've officially switched from count up to count down mode with this pregnancy (7 weeks to go!), many people have asked what we're naming our second daughter. And as with many responses to questions (e.g., Have you figured out child care? Where will the baby sleep? What do you need for baby stuff?) associated with my remarkably laid back approach to this pregnancy, the answer has been, "Hmm...I have no idea." But a few things recently suggested that it's time to get a move on thinking about this name business -- and I'm hoping you can help me out here:
First, Jon and Laurel composed a hilarious song called, "We Need A Girl's Name." Every time they sing it, I crack up. And then remember that we really do need a girl's name.
Second, I recently thought, "Boston Mamas readers always have great ideas when I float out queries...maybe I should ask about baby names." Then at Altitude Summit last week, Tina Roth Eisenberg shared that she did just that when she was expecting. My first thought was, "Oh no, now I can't do that!" But I decided to go for it anyway. So here we are.
Third, while at the Salt Lake City airport, a cashier -- a lovely woman (from Africa, she later shared) -- looked at me and asked very assuredly, "What are you naming your daughter?" It was almost as if she could see through my belly. Which was both cool and a little freaky.
So far, Jon, Laurel, and I have bounced around some ideas and come up empty handed, and this is where I hope you can help us. Here are some thoughts on the type of name we'd like:
1. A name that isn't completely commonplace but isn't totally bizarre.
2. A name that is nature-inspired like Laurel's would be a lovely parallel but isn't essential.
3. A name with a positive meaning.
4. I tend to prefer 2+ syllable names, though this is not essential and I definitely welcome killer one-syllable names.
5. For a while Laurel was bent on her sister having a name that also started with "L" and was six letters. She has eased up on that idea, but bonus points if you can come up with one!
So my lovely community, thoughts? Please comment in below to share!
Image credit: Super cool retro letterpress nametags from Josh Korwin/Three Steps Ahead on Etsy
Comments
So exciting that you are so close!
Corrinne is my vote. I LOVE the name, it's unique but everyone can pronounce it. We were very close to using that name for Kaya, but it didn't seem to fit the newborn that we ended up with!
Posted by: Johanna | January 25, 2011 9:34 AM | Reply to this comment
Lilian
no, that isn't a typo ... just one "l"! :)
Posted by: Jess | January 25, 2011 9:35 AM | Reply to this comment
http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-names-inspired-by-nature_10305329.bc
Posted by: Eve Agush | January 25, 2011 9:40 AM | Reply to this comment
I always send this link to anyone I know having a baby: http://www.girlsgonechild.net/2008/06/short-list-baby-name-edition.html The names are all so cool & creative. I get a little sad thinking we might not have a #3 especially since he or she already has a name =) Best of luck!
Posted by: Carla | January 25, 2011 9:41 AM | Reply to this comment
There are so many pretty Irish names. What about Roisin?
It is pronounced Ro-sheen (long o in the first syllable and emphasis on the second syllable) and it means "little rose." It's fairly common here, if that helps with the "not bizarre" part.
Not too long to go now!
Posted by: Sara Bennett | January 25, 2011 9:46 AM | Reply to this comment
we are donner than done with having babies, and therefore names, but one I came across recently that I would totally use if we weren't is Seren (pron. Sayr-enn). It means "star" in Welsh. I don't think it would be that hard to pronounce, but...Also, I"m not fussed on alliteration in names, growing up the only T in a sea of K's was rough. It doesn't help with the name-tripping that happens to all mothers of more than one child either!
Posted by: tracyp | January 25, 2011 9:49 AM | Reply to this comment
Christine, as a lover of science and statistics, you would probably very much enjoy the Baby Name Wizard book and the super cool tools on their website (all of which is the brainchild of Mass. resident Laura Wattenberg).
I almost wish I had another baby to name so I could use some of the gizmos on their site. Check it out: http://www.isisparenting.com/blog/index.php/2010/07/13/the-art-and-science-of-naming-your-baby/
Posted by: Cindy Meltzer | January 25, 2011 9:54 AM | Reply to this comment
OOOH, I love names! Obviously I'm in the exact same situation as you, though I think we've settled on ours (which I adore, but does not totally overlap with your criteria). Tricky!
Plugged some things into BabyNameWizard.com, and these are some of my favorites:
April
Iris
Maeve
Maia
Audrey
Carolyn/Caroline
Good luck choosing! Can't wait for the reveal... 6 weeks from tomorrow for me! YIKES!
Posted by: Goddess in Progress | January 25, 2011 9:55 AM | Reply to this comment
Oh I second and third Maeve, love it! I have always loved Stella, but never used it in fear that people would always yell STELLA at her:)
Posted by: Kerry | January 25, 2011 10:12 AM | Reply to this comment
Kerry, you just made me laugh water out my nose with the imagery of people yelling "STELLA!!!!!!!!!!" :-)
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Kerry | January 25, 2011 10:14 AM | Reply to this comment
me thinks Leila....night beauty
Posted by: shasha | January 25, 2011 10:18 AM | Reply to this comment
Here are some I like!
Mya
Avery
Corie
Addison
Cameran
Reagan
Wren
Sasha
Elise
London
Emme
Reese
Leigh
Meredith
Trinity
Posted by: Kyra | January 25, 2011 10:29 AM | Reply to this comment
How about Ivy? ...it seems to meet a lot of your criteria
Posted by: sarah | January 25, 2011 10:39 AM | Reply to this comment
I loves me a good baby name post. I'll stick to the nature inspired names because otherwise, I'd be here all day. :)
Willow
June
Gemma
Rowan
Rose
Hazel
Calla
Daisy
Iris
Posted by: Chicky Baby | January 25, 2011 10:52 AM | Reply to this comment
While I doubt a third child is in my future - I have a few names I wish I'd used. Ruby, Daisy are complete favorites! Fit nicely with Laurel, come from nature and aren't too common. Enjoy this process!
Posted by: Wendy Pierce | January 25, 2011 11:35 AM | Reply to this comment
Blythe was our girls name (will never be used) I hearby
Gift it to you as it is peaceful like Laurel's name.
Posted by: Marianne | January 25, 2011 11:43 AM | Reply to this comment
What about "Lillie"? It's six letters, starts with an "L", is nature based (LOVE that, BTW!), is different enough from "Lauren" that you can yell them out the back door without sounding silly, "Laurel" and "Lillie" sound cute when said together and it's different enough in spelling to be unique but still easy to pronounce. (If I had had a girl I would have loved to name her Siobhan but around here it would have been mutilated! He thus would have been Fiona had he not been a he.)
Good luck with your bebe - can't wait to hear the good news when the stork arrives!
Posted by: Bren | January 25, 2011 11:46 AM | Reply to this comment
I like:
Linaeve Tabor
They mean "tree of song" & "pinnacle"
You could drop the e from the end to make it the 6 letter dream- but no need. Also, it can be used as a full name and your daughter could shorten to a nickname if she feels like she wants to. I like "tree of song" because it makes me think of how her Momma has been singing her welcome here and on Twitter for the last several months. I know you asked for a first name, but I like to do both. Not sure if Koh will be her last name but Linaeve Tabor Koh sounds good to me... The name seems just unusual enough to be pretty but not something so off that people will raise all eyebrows. It would also look nice on her resume... Good luck. I think I have a post on my blog about naming my kids- and I look for the same things- meaning & also family history for me. Be well. Have a healthy 7 weeks!
Posted by: Gretchen | January 25, 2011 11:55 AM | Reply to this comment
Linnea meets Laurel's criteria and I think much of yours too! Bonus is the wonderful children's book "Linnea in Monet's Garden."
Posted by: mayberry | January 25, 2011 11:56 AM | Reply to this comment
I'll second some here. I love Ruby, Daisy and Rose. I'll also make a plug for my daughter's name which is perfectly uncommon enough yet every knows how to spell and say it Georgia Rose
Posted by: AmyB | January 25, 2011 12:03 PM | Reply to this comment
Lily
Lilibeth (Lilabeth)
Lilac
Posted by: Lisa Anderson | January 25, 2011 12:03 PM | Reply to this comment
I have always liked names that are a little odder then the usual names you will find out there today. I will not be having another baby which means all my favorite girls names are stuck in my head.
Persephone - Greek goddess of Spring, which is fitting for a spring baby.
Veruca - I'll admit it comes from Willy Wonka but I have loved that name since I first saw the original Gene Wilder version.
Morella - It sounds dark but the nickname can be Ella. I got it from the Edgar Allen Poe story. Truth is I stole it from my brother who will never have kids (thankfully) but always said he wanted to name a daughter this. (sibling rivalry maybe.)
and finally
Claudia, Gabriella, & Victoria the 3 names I always told my mother I would name triplets if I ever had them.
Thinking of these names being used by someone makes me happy but I still wish I could use them.
My boys names aren't as exotic.
Tristan Caleb is the mane I wanted to name my son but hubs didn't like it so we agreed on my other 2 favorite boys names Damien Jareth. Glad I went with it now his nick name is DJ & no one else has the name Jareth. =-)
Good luck picking.
Posted by: QueenGeekKeri | January 25, 2011 12:05 PM | Reply to this comment
Hardy
Amelia
Julia
Elena
Clara
I like Hazel!
Posted by: Liz C. | January 25, 2011 12:46 PM | Reply to this comment
Kajsa/Kaisa - means "pure" in Swedish. I like Linnea too!
Posted by: Michelle Bergstrom | January 25, 2011 12:50 PM | Reply to this comment
I can't believe it's only 7 weeks until she's here! Seems like I was just marveling at your totally flat tummy and energy and wondering how you could possibly be pregnant.
You've got a good list above with all of my faves, including Clara and Iris which I wholeheartedly recommend. :) I also like Nora, and Esther. Leila fits your criteria well, or you could do Liyla.
Posted by: Katherine | January 25, 2011 1:21 PM | Reply to this comment
So, so many great choices...here's the list I started on the plane...
Annabelle
Daphne
Emerson
Eve (!our top girl contender when Levi was born!)
Harper
Leni
Lindsay
Liza
Maeve
Rosaleen
Ruby
Posted by: Paige at Mudroom Boston | January 25, 2011 1:54 PM | Reply to this comment
Okay so I don't have a long list but we went with Violet and I love it. It is nature like and more than 1 syllable, which I also needed. It is 6 letters but does not start with an L. It is not wacky but also not that common. Good luck!
Posted by: Brittany at Mommy Words | January 25, 2011 1:57 PM | Reply to this comment
I second Violet! Violet and Bridget were the two girl names we had picked out during my two pregnancies. (We have 2 boys!)
I like Linnea, too. It was the first name that came to my mind when I heard about Laurel's preference.
Posted by: Suzanne | January 25, 2011 2:48 PM | Reply to this comment
I say Willow; no L but two syllables. Wren is cute too! We still don't know if boy or girl, but if we are having a girl Olivia Lucille (which are family names, my Great Aunt Olive and Great-Gma Lucy; the Olivia popularity pains me though). She will go by Lucy, Our Little Lucy.
Posted by: Addy Sue | January 25, 2011 3:26 PM | Reply to this comment
I'm getting some great suggestions on Facebook and wanted to add them here so I have everything in one place:
From Jennifer: What about Elise (that is actually Ellie's full name) It sounds really pretty with Laurel. Also, Lilah, Heather.
From Leslie: Holly? or is that just toooooo nature-y?
From Susan: Might sound silly, but ask Roll! My husband read a huge list of names to my belly when I was pregnant with our girls, and D kicked him in the face when he said her name, and didn't move a peep for any of the rest of the list! Fortunately, she still loves it, and it fits her perfectly. :)
From Leslie: If you really do want a 6-letter "L" name, there is always... Leslie!
From Charles: Lily and Olivia come to mind... though they are both very popular right now.
Less common but still fit all/some of your criteria: Linden (also a tree) or Rose.
And on the off chance you haven't seen it yet, check out babynamewizard.com, pa...rticularly the NameVoyager that tracks popularity vs. time graphically.
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor | January 25, 2011 3:43 PM | Reply to this comment
I like the name Genevieve. You can dress it up by pronouncing it the French way (Geneviève = zhan-vee-EV), or dress it down by calling her "Genny", or "Genna".
I also think Evangeline is pretty. Isn't there a Longfellow poem called Evangeline?
Good luck!
Posted by: Melissa | January 25, 2011 4:28 PM | Reply to this comment
One of my favorites that was not mentioned is: Juniper.
Many other great suggestions here.
Posted by: LizPW | January 25, 2011 4:28 PM | Reply to this comment
Pkay - I took a poll at dinner - and my 7 year old son wittily suggested "Pet". So her name would be "Pet-Koh". (...Where the pets go). He had a good laugh over that one. Then the sillies took over - and dinner was done...Here is a list of names we came up with...
Lila
Minna
Hanna
Lily
Ivy
Sianna
Violet
Summer
Linnea
Heather
Alise
Posted by: Stacey Sao | January 25, 2011 6:57 PM | Reply to this comment
No matter, your baby's name will be awesome ;)
Posted by: Liz @thisfullhouse | January 25, 2011 9:02 PM | Reply to this comment
I like Ivy. Sounds good with Laurel.
Posted by: Kathy The Boston Sports Woman | January 25, 2011 9:12 PM | Reply to this comment
If we had a girl, I would have named her Maya. I think it's a beautiful sounding name and would go well with Laurel.
Posted by: Natasha | January 25, 2011 9:16 PM | Reply to this comment
Sierra is a beautiful name and meets most of your criteria. Enjoy the last few weeks!
Posted by: Mardi | January 25, 2011 9:36 PM | Reply to this comment
I have two girls and our goal was to find names that were unique but not crazy.
My oldest is Sidda. It is got from the book Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. We had to do a lot of research on finding the meaning by once we did, I loved it even more.
adv. “ready to do a good deed”
adj. Spiritual Enlightenment
lang. Sandscrit
def. In ancient Hindu religion, great saints performed penance for long years to obtain “Sidda”. After obtaining “Sidda” the saints considerd their existence on Earth fulfilled.
My little one is Selah (SAY-la). Selah is found in the Psalms and has a couple meanings. This is the one I like.
Selah (Hebrew: סלה) may be the most difficult word in the Hebrew Bible to translate. Selah is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like “stop and listen”. The Psalms were sung accompanied by musical instruments and there are references to this in many chapters. Thirty-one of the thirty-nine psalms include “Selah” so the musical context of selah is obvious. Selah notes a break in the song and as such is similar in purpose to Amen in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage.
Sorry for the long post. Good luck!
Posted by: Rachel | January 25, 2011 10:15 PM | Reply to this comment
I just gave birth to a Maeve several months ago...
I have several suggestions; some have been previously mentioned:
Lilly
Linnea
Lark
Best of luck!
Posted by: Amy | January 25, 2011 10:36 PM | Reply to this comment
I think "Rose Koh" would be a lovely combination. I also second "Willow" - unique, but not TOO unique. :)
Posted by: Stephanie | January 26, 2011 3:00 AM | Reply to this comment
Linnea
Flora, Olivia, Viiolet
All are polysyllabic & nature based. 2nd line names all hide the "L"'a bit, but it's in there. All have several possibilities for nicknames. "Linnea" is my favorite bc besides the artistic connection above, there is also a tie-in to the scientist Linneus, who studied nature.
But I suggest you hold off on the final choice until you see who pops out. No use sticking to your choice of "Leila" if it's a Cornelia who pops out.
Posted by: Jen | January 26, 2011 3:05 AM | Reply to this comment
Cheeks - you know i had to comment :) Staying in the realm of "L" names, what about:
- Lili (flower)
- Lisel (hello - sound of music; no to edelweiss)
- Lizette (who doesn't like a name with a "z")
- Lavender (could be shortened to Lavi, etc.)
- Lavani (grace - its hindu)
- Libby (i just think it sounds cute)
- Laverna (refers to spring)
- Linette (bird)
Any name for "Roll" will be lovely :)
Posted by: Stephanie | January 26, 2011 7:14 AM | Reply to this comment
My favorite:
Rosalyn
Cecilia
What you might like:
Ainsley (clearing)
Lilian
Daphne (means Laurel or Bay Tree)
Cecilia Rose is my favorite combination so perhaps finding the "L" name for a middle name might be your best bet. I would also, as others have suggested, find other countries' common names. Ireland, Scotland, and even Australia have beautiful names we just don't find here in the states that often!
Good luck!
Posted by: Stephanie | January 26, 2011 7:47 AM | Reply to this comment
Oh my goodness, you all are AWESOME! Thank you for all of the wonderful ideas!
Also, re: process...I love Susan's idea of reading the short list to the baby (and waiting for a kick vote). And yes, Jen, that is what we did with Laurel. We didn't know if we were having a boy or girl so had a short list of names for each and decided on the name once we saw her. It was cool, she just immediately looked like a Laurel to both me and Jon. :-)
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor | January 26, 2011 9:04 AM | Reply to this comment
Also, a couple more comments via Facebook:
From Leslie: I really liked this book for thinking about baby names: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Jennifer-Jason-Madison-Montana/dp/0312940955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295997909&sr=8-1 and I see they have an updated version from 2009...
From Stacie: Ok here is my two cents "Larissa" meaning cheerful. Starts with an L but unfortunate not 6 letters. Good luck with the search.
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor | January 26, 2011 9:06 AM | Reply to this comment
NO NO NO... You can't chose Ivy... that's my name if we have another girl. Pretty please, with sugar on top!!!
Posted by: Janelle | January 26, 2011 9:40 AM | Reply to this comment
Brielle (pronounced Brie-elle). Just heard it recently and thought it was pretty.
Posted by: Renee | January 26, 2011 9:52 AM | Reply to this comment
I like Autumn, and it fits with the nature theme!
Posted by: Cathy | January 26, 2011 10:38 AM | Reply to this comment
Please don't name her Veruca; in the UK that is a name for warts.
:(
Posted by: Susan | January 26, 2011 10:57 AM | Reply to this comment
Late to the table again, but not without suggestions.
Lucerne - a city in Switzerland of course, but also another name for Alfafa and can be Lucy for short.
One of my cousins is spelled Lyla for an alternative to Lila or Lily (she is Lyla Bea, almost twin to Dova Bea).
Sienna - love the color and earthy sound.
In the end, when we had about 3 names picked out, we let Adam choose. It worked out perfectly :).
Posted by: Angela at mommy bytes | January 26, 2011 1:31 PM | Reply to this comment
Pearl
Posted by: Jen C | January 26, 2011 2:01 PM | Reply to this comment
Not nature inspired but still one of my faves, Sophie.
Posted by: zmama | January 26, 2011 6:17 PM | Reply to this comment
If we were going to have more babies, these are my favorite girl names (our 4 year old is Maya):
Aria
Lyla
Nora
Mariel
Talia
Good luck- I can't wait to find out what name you choose!
Posted by: Korey | January 26, 2011 7:51 PM | Reply to this comment
I love my daughter's name Kiera. Other spellings are Kyra, Kira, Keira. We went with the "i" before "e" spelling.
I also love the names:
Ava
Emma
Olivia
Posted by: Kim | January 26, 2011 9:30 PM | Reply to this comment
I agree with the choice of "Linnea", but I'm biased because that is my daughter's name! We chose it because I am a nutrition science nerd and my husband is Scandinavian, so it was a good compromise. We thought that people wouldn't have too much trouble with the pronunciation, but boy, were we mistaken. She gets many, many variations (we say it Li-NAY-yuh) and I can't wait for when she is old enough to get sassy about it!
Posted by: Jen Truong | January 27, 2011 6:58 AM | Reply to this comment
Like all little girls I dreamed of being called something else. Growing up with a unique name while having a younger sister with a mainstream named created a lot off-the-rack personalized pencilcase and sticker envy. It took me years to finally be able to say "I like my name". I like it so much now that I'm sad it wasn't "socially acceptable" to name my now 5 month old daughter it, so I "nom de egotistically" gift Corissa Marie to you! (we named our daughter Juliette Elise)
Posted by: Corissa | January 27, 2011 9:44 AM | Reply to this comment
Our two girls are named Mathilda and Autumn. Love them.
Posted by: Michelle | January 28, 2011 2:30 PM | Reply to this comment
Paloma
Posted by: Eve Agush | January 28, 2011 4:13 PM | Reply to this comment
I do like Hazel and Maeve, but perhaps getting trendy at the moment?
How about:
-- Esme (pronounced EHZ-me or ES-SE-me) is a verb form of "loved" in French that I find darling...
-- Vera
-- Grace
-- Mae (or Mei for a Chinese bent - means beautiful, no? Could be a great middle name...)
-- Mabel
-- Beatrice
-- Evelyn
-- Aster or Astrid (LOVE this one - Pippi Longstocking!)
-- Penelope (Pippa! or Pip! or Poppy!)
-- Clementine (how sweet!)
We're due with #2 in 6ish weeks (gender is a surprise) but we really liked this site for naming assistance:
http://www.nymbler.com/
Good luck! Looking forward to hearing your good news!
Posted by: Laura | January 28, 2011 9:10 PM | Reply to this comment
Sorry! A few more:
Sabine
Leora (lay-OH-rah)
Camille
Elodie
Posted by: Laura | January 28, 2011 9:15 PM | Reply to this comment
Linden is beautiful. Also like Lidia.
Posted by: Rachel | January 28, 2011 11:12 PM | Reply to this comment
Heather! Lily, Ivy, Daisy, Serena, Kara, and Kiki (the name of our third daughter, after the artist Kiki Smith).
Posted by: Katrina | January 31, 2011 8:59 AM | Reply to this comment
I'm not reading through all the suggestions, but Linnea seems to fit Laurel's conditions. I really like Evangeline too.
Posted by: Leah | February 1, 2011 8:46 PM | Reply to this comment
We're due in May and naming our baby girl Delaney. :) I wouldn't mind sharing hehe
Posted by: Katelyn | February 15, 2011 8:55 PM | Reply to this comment
Love name talk!
Laurel and...
Lydia
Lilah
Hollis
Briar
Augusta
Helene/Helena
Posted by: Jennifer | February 15, 2011 9:42 PM | Reply to this comment
I love thinking about names! We named our girl Ruby Jane, which has turned out to be more popular in our neighborhood than I would have thought! Oh well. I still love it. What I also loved, but couldn't get my husband on board with: Clementine. Amelia was another top contender.
Good luck! There are so many great options, it's hard to choose!
Posted by: KBanks | February 15, 2011 9:56 PM | Reply to this comment