Finding Bold Names for a Fourth Baby

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. 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.

WHAT GOES WITH ZELLER, CASHEL & ANTHEA?

Marianna writes:

Would love your thoughts on names for a sibling.

My children’s names are: Zeller Baird, Cashel Carr, and Anthea Marian Lake.

They are pretty unusual, but not made up. It’s a mix of stuff we just liked and family significance. (Zeller is a family surname.)

Here are the possible first names for a boy:

• Morris (nn Mo or Morey or Moss)
• Ambrose (nn Bo or Rosy)
• Russo (nn Ru)

For girls:

• Harriet (nn Cricket)
• Amorett (nn Rhett)
• Holiday (nn Holly or Daisy) – I love this name but everyone seems to think it’s trashy? I think of an English schoolgirl but everyone seems to think stripper.
• Pauline (too plain compared to the rest?)
• Vera (same question as Pauline)

I would love to find another girl or boy name that could have a nickname of Mazzy. (We have ruled out Mazarine.)

Middle name options:

• Amorett (if not a first name)
• Russo (if not used for a first)
• Russell
• Midnight
• Frost
• Walsh

Any names or combinations you think I should consider?

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

WHAT MATTERS MOST?

Abby replies:

When it comes to parenting, most things get easier with experience.

Naming isn’t one of them.

The perfect name for your child will match the style of Zeller, Cashel, and Anthea. It will feel a little bit offbeat and unexpected. It should carry some family significance. And it has to sound great, too.

Yup, this is a challenge!

The first key is this: decide what matters most.

I’m going to assume that finding a truly distinctive name is your top priority, if only because you’ve indicated concerns about names like Vera and Pauline. (To another family, these names might be too different to consider. But we all approach this differently.)

I also think we’re looking for a wow factor as a secondary consideration. When your older siblings are named Zeller, Cashel, and Anthea, it might be a let-down to go through life as William or Ava.

Finding something that honors family feels like a possible consideration, too. I’m not certain which names check that box. I’m assuming Amorett and Russo might, along with Walsh and maybe Russell?

Let’s address a few questions before we talk about your lists.

ARE THERE MORE FORMAL NAMES FOR MAZZY?

Let’s talk about Mazzy.

When I hear it, my first thought is always luck. The traditional Jewish saying “mazel tov” means congratulations, but the phrase literally translates to something more like “lucky star.” There’s a lot to unpack there, but let’s say this: Mazzy, Mazal, and even elaborations like Mazalit are used as given names occasionally.

Other names with a strong maz/mas sound that could work for a daughter and/or a son include:

• Mazoe – a sister of Morgan le Fay in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s re-tellings of the legends of King Arthur
• Massimo – the Italian equivalent of Maximus
• Massima – Italian feminine form of Massimo
• Thomasina – Thomas is a classic boy’s name with the right sound, but unexpected Thomasina seems like a better fit
• Damasine – This is a really rare name, a feminine form of Damasus, a Greek name meaning “to tame” worn by two popes, one in the 4th century and the other during the 11th century
• Messalina – I was thinking of the Italian city of Messina, but Messalina is a name used by the ancient Romans – though the most famous bearer is remembered for conspiring against her husband, the emperor Claudius

Expanding this search to even more languages could easily quadruple the list, but I’m guessing those choices aren’t a fit.

HOLIDAY IS A GREAT NAME!

Plenty of names are dismissed as trashy. I have a tough time putting Holiday in that same category. One consideration: in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Holly Golightly is a socialite. In the 1958 Truman Capote novella that inspired the film, it’s a little more ambiguous. Also, the book tells us that her full name is Holiday.

Still, I have a hard time seeing Audrey Hepburn’s iconic character as anything but glamorous, so that can’t be it.

I’d advise you to keep Holiday high on your list – if you can shrug off the criticism.

A BROTHER FOR ZELLER, CASHEL & ANTHEA

On paper, all three names you’re considering for a son work beautifully. I really love Ambrose, particularly with the nickname Bo. But it is the only name currently ranked in teh US Top 1000.

And so I think I’m going to rank it third on your current list.

I’m putting Morris second for one reason only: it feels a little more serious compared to energetic Zeller and Cashel. Though Zel, Cash, and Mo/Morey are pretty amazing together, so it’s a close second.

And in first? That leaves Russo. I’m assuming this must be a family name, right? It’s colorful and that O ending is memorable. Plus, every one of your four children would have a different first initial and ending sound for their name. I love it! (And Ru is great, too.)

I’m not sure I can do better in terms of name suggestions, but let’s look at some combinations:

• Russo Ambrose (I know you didn’t list Ambrose as a possible middle, but I really like it with Russo. It’s a smidge more traditional and familiar in a way that grounds Russo, I think.
• Russo Amorett (I’m guessing Amorett might only be a girls’ name for you, but I like the rhythm, and the -rett sounds makes this name potentially unisex.)
• Russo Thomas – Maybe a little too safe with the middle name, but if the Mazzy sound matters and/or adds meaning? This feels like an option worth some thought. Or maybe Russo Thomas Midnight is the combination to meet?

I want to suggest Russo Midnight, and the sound is great. But I think it’s two names with lots of individual wow factor, and maybe that’s overwhelming together. Something like Russo James Midnight might feel a little more solid, if you’re open to a double middle.

A SISTER FOR ZELLER, CASHEL & ANTHEA

Let’s take the same approach that worked for the boys’ list. I’m going to drop Vera and Pauline. Not because they’re bad names – they’re really perfection, for some families! – but because they’re more mainstream.

That leaves Harriett, Amorett, and Holiday, plus possibly a Mazzy name.

I’m going to put Holiday lowest on the list, mostly because I’m not sure your hesitations can be overcome.

Amorett comes next on my list. I want to love this name for you. But Rhett seems like a nickname that flattens all the punch and excitement of Amorett. Also: Anthea and Amorett sound perfectly matched. Anthea and Rhett? Not as much. If you’re thinking of nicknames as more at-home-only, then I’d probably inch Amorett back up the list again.

Next: Thomasina or Massima. I think they fit your real-but-rare vibe perfectly and you’d get the nickname Mazzy. In fact, other forms of Thomasina include Thomasine, Tamsin, or even Tamzin.

That puts Harriet at the top of the list. It’s a little more traditional than your other kids’ names, but still very uncommon. And if you call her Cricket? (Which seems like a brilliant nickname option!) Then it’s even more rare.

Okay, let’s try some combinations:

• Tamsin/Tamzin Holiday, called Mazzy
• Amorett Pauline
• Holiday Russell
• Harriet Vera
• Harriet Midnight

It feels like Pauline and Vera make sense back in the mix, to anchor the more dramatic choices. I want to love Harriet Vera, but does it maybe feel a bit like a Cabbage Patch Kid name? I think Harriet Midnight probably edges just a bit ahead for that reason.

Overall, I’m sort of pulled toward Russo James Midnight, or possibly Russo Ambrose if a double middle doesn’t appeal.

On the girl’s side, I keep changing my mind, but Tamsin Holiday, called Mazzy, or Harriet Midnight, would top my list.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a sibling for Zeller, Cashel, and Anthea?