Finding Girl Names to Go With Lily and Chloe

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NAMING A THIRD DAUGHTER

Lisa & Chris write:

We have a Lily & Chloe.

We always said we were going to stay with L & C names. I also love that both are a “nature” name – flower and green sprout.

I’m pregnant with our 3rd and final baby. It’s a girl!

Staying with a C or L (would possibly switch if the was the best name ever!) and nature but that last one isn’t a deal breaker.

I also love the way Lily and Chloe fit together. 

Please help!

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

MATCHING WITHOUT REPEATING

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your third daughter!

There is such a balance to Lily and Chloe. They share some things: they’re both two-syllable, ends-with-EE sound names. Both rank in the current US Top 100, but they’re also at home in many other eras. And, of course, the tie to the natural world is a plus. They’re ecovintage picks.

Because you have four families members with L or C names, I feel like sticking with the initials makes sense – unless, of course, the perfect name comes to you and it’s a little different. I’m half-tempted to suggest a name like Elyce to tie them both together … but I don’t feel like that’s the right direction, either.

So we need a name that almost certainly begins with L or C, and combines some of those qualities (vintage, two-syllables, ends-with-EE, tied to the natural world) but probably not all of them … because if such a name existed, I think you’d already have chosen it!

A SISTER FOR LILY AND CHLOE

CAMILLE

Camila is a Top Ten favorite in the US, a name with Latin roots and crossover English/Spanish appeal. Strictly speaking, Camila doesn’t mean camellia flower. But the sound is very close, and Camila’s exact meaning and origin are debated.

CELESTE

Celeste means “of the sky.” Another name for sky blue? Celeste. It can also be translated as heavenly, but I think it’s the former meaning that works best with your older girls’ names. As a bonus, Celeste starts with the soft C name, which is less repetitive than another hard C.

CELINE

Speaking of soft C names, Celine is a cousin to Celeste. There’s also Ciel or Cielo, more romance language words meaning sky or heaven. And there’s also Cecile, related to Cecilia. There’s no specific nature name-connection for Cecile/Cecily/Cecilia, though.

CORA, CORALINE

Cora means maiden. It’s not exactly nature-centric, but it is another name for Persephone. In Greek myth, her annual trip to the Underworld and back was responsible for the seasons. I think Lily, Chloe, and Cora could be sisters. But lengthen it to Coraline and it’s even more distinctive.

LIANA

Lovely and romantic Liana is a combination of Lee and Anna, but it’s also a type of vine.

LUCIA

Romantic Italian name meaning light. I think that’s in the neighborhood of nature names. Bonus? It’s a L name that matches Lily and Chloe, but feels like Lucia still has her own identity.

LUNA

It’s another nature name, and another name that points to the night sky. It’s somewhere between the very obvious word-name Lily and the quite subtle Chloe. Another name in this category: Stella, but of course it lacks the necessary C or L.

LYRA

A constellation in the night sky, Lyra was inspired by the lyre of Orpheus in Greek myth. That makes this name musical and mythological, as well as a nature name.

Overall, I’m most drawn to Luna. It’s popular, but I think that’s a bonus in this case. Lily, Chloe, and Luna are close, but remain easily distinguishable.

And when it comes to nature names? The moon feels exactly right, at any time of year, a mix of romantic and mysterious vibes with a choice borrowed from the natural world.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a sister for Lily and Chloe?