☎️ Baby Name Hotline: Blended Family Sibset

The Nameberry team responds to another baby name dilemma

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Allison and Erik write,

We have a blended family and are expecting a baby girl in early Spring. We want to find a name that works with all of the older kids’ names. I have a daughter named Evelyn, sometimes called Evie, and a son Theodore, always called Theo. Erik has a son named Banks. We live in Pennsylvania and our last name is one syllable starting with P.

If we were having a boy, we liked Wells or Reid. We like girl names like Waverly, Penny (don’t love the alliteration with our last name), and Blair (we would prefer not to repeat the kids’ initials). We considered names like Eloise, Mabel, Sloane, and Vivian but took them off the list. I don’t want anything too popular, I now hear Evie and Theo everywhere and it bothers me. But we don’t want a name that’s so unique that others will think it’s strange or unattractive.

Thanks!

Emma: I like the longer length and rhythm of Waverly with a single-syllable surname. Matches the length of E and T and the modernity of B well, making it feel like a good bridging choice. However, could also sound a bit too close to Evelyn (maybe it's just my accent?)

Penny is cute, trendy but traditional. For me, it feels a little too diminutive alongside the sib names, especially for a fourth child (I have a thing about youngest sibling names sounding too identifiably like the "baby" of the family.) 

Could it also be weird having a Penny in Pennsylvania? Or am I overthinking?

Some suggestions: Greer (Blair alternative without the alliteration issue), Reese, Arden, Willa (love this one with all sib names, echoes of Waverly and Wells), Romilly (matches Waverly's rhythm, rare but not wild, nn Romy or Milly), Maple (Mabel alternative, more modern and adventurous)

Sophie: Ooh I do like Waverly for them! It doesn’t sound too close to Evelyn in my opinion, at least not in my American accent. Of their current picks, that’s probably my favorite.

Of your additions, Emma, I like Willa the most. It’s familiar like they wanted but not nearly as common as Evelyn or Theodore. It fits with the vintage style of the oldest siblings’ names and the very fashionable/current aspects of Banks.

Others I would add:

Lyra, Marlowe, Landry

Wren — is this too Nameberry? It’s sleek like Banks, has the W initial they seem to be drawn to, and feels cottagecore/vintage which reminds me of Evelyn.

Bellamy — it repeats the B initial, but it has the rhythm of Waverly and nickname Belle or Bella feels vintage like Evelyn.

Emma: These are great additions! I particularly like Wren (not too Nameberry! I honestly see it discussed less nowadays, though it still feels fresh in the “real world”), Lyra and Marlowe.

Piper sprang to mind, then I remembered about the Ps... How about Juniper? 

Maren – classic but with a tailored, modern sound?

Louisa? They seem to like the L sound and Lou is a cute vintage-meets-modern nickname.

Hattie or Lottie would be sweet, but I feel like I want a longer name to fit with the sibs and the most obvious contenders don’t have the right feel. Hallie?

Winslet – Winnie or Lettie? That could be too far in the “unique” direction…

Lula? That feels both retro and very “now”. You could even do Tallulah with Lula for short. I think Tallulah is so much fun, it gives me the same bouncy, playful, whimsical vibes as Waverly. Love.

Ooh! An old flame of mine: Ramona?

Clare: From Allison and Erik’s current list, I’m Team Waverly too. I agree that Blair is a little too similar to Banks. Penny I really like, but if you’re not sold on the alliteration, I get the feeling it won’t make the final cut.

Like Emma, I wondered if Waverly and Evelyn are too similar with their shared rhythm and V-L sounds. But if it’s ok in an American accent, it’s all good — especially with two other siblings to dilute the effect.

So many great additions to the list here. My favorites are those that are surname-like, feminine, and tailored:  Bellamy, Marlowe, Winslet (could you split the difference with Winslow, or is that too rare?), Greer (would you also like Gray… or riffing off that, Shea?). More suggestions: Callaway, Larkin, Malone (rhymes with Sloane).

Then again, I love the glamorous vintage direction of Willa and Lula/Tallulah too. Thinking along those lines, I’ll add Mae — repeating that “ay” sound from Waverly and Mabel again — and Lena. Less common wildcards with the same lively vibe: Vita and Minna.

Pam: I’m not sure any of these ideas are really it for me. 

The right name has to blend the vintage-y warm feel of Evie and Theo and the sleekly modern Banks. My preference would be for a vintage name with lean, simple feel and/or sound. I think Mae works. Or June.  I love Romy for them (or anyone). If we’re going for a P name, how about Posy? I love Arden but it’s definitely closer to Banks than to Evie and Theo, while Willa leans in the other direction.

Nell? Rue? Faye? Actually, Faye is pretty good. I love Celia, which is both sleek and antique, or the much rarer Cyra. Sela or Selah is a good bridge and means “rock,” which is a nice meaning for a child in this blended family.

Honor? Hope? Mercy?

Or maybe sleek and ancient: Hero. Leda, Ione, Una.

If I were the one naming this baby, I would pick Romy.

Emma: Romy is lovely! I do like the simple, sleek vintage direction for them a lot. But I’d want something like Mae or Nell to have a longer full name like Evie/Evelyn and Theo/Theodore.

For Mae: Mabel is on their maybe list, but maybe Margot or Maeve? Both riding rapidly in popularity though. For Nell, is Elodie too outside the box?

Love the meaning of Selah for a new addition to this blended family! On a similar note, I’ll add Clover. It’s one of my faves for a lucky #4 and seems especially fitting in this case.

Sophie: I love Romy, too. That feels like the right balance between vintage and modern. Selah as well. I adore Clover — that one is really going to pop soon! And how inspired for a fourth child.

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