Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.
WE LOVE OUR DAUGHTER’S NICKNAME
Brooke writes:
Our daughter’s name is Everlie Rose. We sort of named her for my grandma Beverlie, but not really. We really just liked it and because it was close to a family name it felt like it made the most sense.
Since she’s been born we call her Evie pretty much all the time. If I had it to do over again, we might have named her Eva or Evelyn or even just Evie. I do feel like Everlie is a sort of trendy name and that wasn’t my intention.
We are due with our second child in a few weeks, another girl. If this baby had been a boy, we would have named him Archer James and call him Archie.
For a girl, all of my favorite names seem very mismatched. Or they match Evie, but not Everlie as much.
Here is our list:
- Hallie
- Hattie
- Josie
- Lottie
- Mila/Millie
I can imagine naming her Josephine for Josie or maybe Charlotte for Lottie, but only to give our daughter a formal name. I would not really want to ever use the full name.
My husband suggested Miller for Millie and I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it’s the name of a beer. We both like Mila a lot, but it seems wrong to have a nickname longer than her name.
A good friend suggested Marlowe called Lola and I love that, but I’m not sure if it’s too different?
If the baby were born today, I’d want to name a girl Hallie. My husband is on board and is happy to use the name without it being short for anything. We would probably name her Hallie Elizabeth, which is my middle name, too.
I cannot imagine naming a daughter Harriet, and I don’t like the idea of something like Holland or Hallan, so I think her name would be just Hallie.
Are we breaking some sort of a rule? Will my daughter feel like it’s unfair if she doesn’t have the same kind of name/nickname combination? I’ve see comments about names like Hallie being too cute/informal for an adult, and I don’t want that for my daughter.
But also, I have friends with names like Molly and Haley, and I don’t think their names sound immature.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
WILL MISMATCHED NAMES BE A PROBLEM?
Abby replies:
Congratulations on baby number two!
As much as I love a really well-matched pair of sibling names, there’s no rule that says names have to go together.
I think what you’re imagining isn’t the style clash. It’s the possibility that your younger daughter might feel her name is lesser than her sister’s name.
Your anxiety is understandable, and yet … the future is unknowable. When it comes to naming, we’re not asked to gaze into a crystal ball and name for our child’s exact future. We’re expected to make the best possible choice based on our lives at this moment. That’s exactly what you’ve done!
Something that leaps out at me: your concerns that Everlie will be perceived as trendy. There is a long, rich tradition of using surname names for our daughters. Shirley, Kimberly, Ashley, Courtney, Madison, Avery, Harper, and so on. The names do feel tied to their generation, but they also feel like very normal names. That’s not exactly trendy as much as it reflects the way names cycle in and out of favor. Everlie won’t be popular in 50 years, just like former favorites Mary and Lisa are not common now.
The real question: would your children feel like they had mismatched names? Maybe. But maybe not. Evie and Hallie are nicely balance, but so are Everlie and Hallie. This isn’t quite like naming your daughters, say, Albertine and Mia or Honey and Margaret. The overlap isn’t perfect, but it’s absolutely there.
Let’s go through your options:
- Name your daughter just Hallie. (Or Millie or Lottie …)
- Choose a formal name for Hallie and use that, with the intention of calling your daughter Hallie 99% of the time.
- Go with a different name that leads to an obvious nickname, like Josephine/Josie and Archer/Archie.
- Pick a formal name/nickname combination you like more, even if they feel less obvious.
Before we go any further, let’s see if we can add a few name suggestions into the mix.
FRESH NAME SUGGESTIONS
CALLAHAN
This shortens to Callie more logically than Hallie, but the sounds are there. That said, I think Callahan reads more masculine than most of the choices on your list.
HADLEY
A popular surname name for a daughter that feels a little more complete than Hallie – at least in the sense that no one would ask what if it’s a nickname.
HALSTON
A 20th century fashion icon, Halston is surprising and fresh, and offers a direct path to Hallie.
HATTON
A surname option for Hattie.
ROMILLY
A surname that leads to Milly/Millie without out the problematic associations.
TOP SUGGESTIONS
MILA called MILLIE
Yes, Millie is visually longer than Mila. But it works. If this appeals to you, I think it’s worth considering.
MARLOWE called LOLA
This really sings. Marlowe mirrors Everlie, and Lola makes the perfect sister name for Evie. Is it too much of a stretch? Not really – the sound is right there. And yet, it’s not an immediate formal name/nickname combination. It might be more of a hassle, at least compared to how easily Evie flows from Everlie.
HADLEY ELIZABETH
If your main concern is finding something that feels more complete, then subbing Hadley for Hallie might work for you.
HALSTON called HALLIE
I love the idea of Halston as a formal name for Hallie. The nickname flows. And while Halston isn’t common as a given name, it feels familiar to most as a surname. Everlie and Halston, Evie and Hallie. It’s exactly right.
HALLIE ELIZABETH
All of that said, I do think Hallie Elizabeth might be the perfect choice. It’s your favorite. They’re not really mismatched names … they’re just not perfectly parallel. Hallie works as a sister for Evie, a sort of vintage sweetness. But Hallie and Everlie sound like sisters, too, a pair of 21st century favorites.
I’m most drawn to Marlowe/Lola and Halston/Hallie. But I think I’d still put just Hallie at the top of my list and make it the name to beat.
I think you’ve already found the right match, LW! I agree that Hallie and Everlie already sound like sisters, and that Hallie matches Evie nicely as well.
Both of them also sound right with modern surname name Archer, if there’s a possibility there will be a third child in the family. To me, Hallie fits right in with that, while some of the more formal names you’re considering end up being a bit of a grab bag when combined with Everlie and Archer.
Everlie (Evie) and…..
Hadley (Hallie, Haddie)
Marlowe (Mollie, Marlie, Marley)
Carlisle (Callie, Carlie)
Carlin (Callie, Carlie)
Hallie on its own is fine. Most of the girls I’ve encountered with the name are just Hallie. She would probably find a formal name she never uses a legal and social. nuisance. Your older daughter’s name is also just fine, a good fit with other kids her age.
You have lots of great options to consider. I particularly love Marlowe nn Lola with big sister.
Would you consider naming her Elizabeth Hallie, exclusively called Hallie? To me, that’s the most balanced option – both kids get family names, but are called exclusively by their nicknames. And that way, you don’t have to try to like a formal name for the name you love most – Hallie.
Is there any way your husband has a grandmother or great aunt with a name you could use? I take back my previous point, that would be a slam dunk for a pattern. The challenge I guess is if it’s a name you would like to use, and does it come with a nickname you like? I’m sure we’d be happy to play with options for you.
I think names are so diverse these days that the ‘cutesy’ thing doesn’t play out. Both my nieces have decidedly cute nicknamey names and they’re doing just fine in life in their 20s. If you daughter one days feels her name is too cutesy, she can go by her middle. That’s what I did for my kid.
That all being said, I should disclose that I am in the name-them-what-you’ll-call-them camp. You didn’t get that for kid #1, but you have that chance for kid #2. And for kid #1, your reason is pretty awesome as the formal name is for your grandmother.
Reading your letter again, it really sounds like your baby’s name is Hallie. You just have to tune out the doubts and figure out what to put on the paperwork. Good luck!
A nickname can be longer than the given name!
Signed, Ann called Annie
Ps- I know a young Lola and the name is excellent! I love Marlowe as a formal name for it too.
Hi!
I like Hallie. If you want a longer name, what about the name “Halina.” It is Slavic and I have never met anyone with this name, but I think it is really pretty.
Everlie & Halina – Evie & Hallie
I also think you can use Hallie alone though.
Best wishes!!
Congrats on baby 2! I’m really intrigued by this post as I am in the same boat with naming now that I’m expecting. I have a daughter with a full name that goes by a nickname and I’ve been wondering the same thing: does this baby also need a nicknameable name? Also, Hallie is on our list as well and it doesn’t “match” our daughter’s name. So I feel your struggle and I don’t quite have the answer either!
I do think sibling names should be cohesive but not necessarily coordinated; Everlie and Hallie, yes! Everlie and Brunhilda… I’d have some questions haha
I think Hallie is a great choice and she fits in the same category as Molly and Sadie. Yes, maybe she sounds a bit nickname but she is strong enough to stand on her own, no longer version needed.
As for Millie, do you like Emilia called Millie? Or even Mila! Everlie and Emilia! Evie and Millie, Evie and Mila. Or Amelia if you don’t want to match initials.
Marlowe called Lola is fantastic! I feel like you could also go with Marlowe Elizabeth and call her Millie as well.
You have some great options no matter what. Good luck and happy naming!
Also wanted to suggest Violet called Lettie or Lottie. Everlie and Violet feel coordinated with that sharp V sound and Evie and Lottie or Lettie are really sweet together