Harper, Max, Delilah, and Their New Sister …

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 HARPER, MAX, and DELILAH?

Candace writes:

My husband Frank and I have three children: Harper Gwyn, Harlan “Max,” and Delilah Marie. (Read Delilah’s #namehelp post here!)

I had written a few years ago and our email correspondence was featured on your blog. We were searching for a baby sister name for Harper Gwyn and Harlan “Max,” and we ended up naming our third Delilah Marie, born in January 2023.

Well, we are unexpectedly expecting our final bookend, due in January! We just found out this week that we’re having another baby girl.

So far we’ve thought of a few between ourselves and our kids:

• Piper Faye; Faye was my maternal grandmother’s middle name, as Gwyn was my paternal grandmother’s middle name in Harper’s name. 
• Charlotte Grace; Charlotte/Charlie was a top contender when we were trying to decide on a name for Delilah.
• Ellorie, Audrey, and Lucy are all suggestions from Harper and Max. I don’t dislike any of those, but they’re not necessarily on my list.

I really like the idea of having the name end in “er,” to match with our oldest. And I also kind of like the idea of having a middle name beginning with “G” or a first name beginning with “D,” but those aspects would all be for a matching sense amongst the others. 

I should also mention that Frank is the fourth in his family in a line of Franks. My husband has mentioned Frankie for a girls name, which I do think is kind of cute but I’m also unsure if it’s something I totally love choosing for our girl.

I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

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

SO MANY GOOD CHOICES

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

This is a tricky question, isn’t it? The urge to complete the pattern is irresistible, but … which part/s of the pattern?

Because the good news is that you haven’t named yourself into a box. (If Delilah had been called Hadley, this could be a very different question.)

Instead, there are lots of ways to think about your children’s names:

• Harper Gwyn; initials H.G., first name ending with R; family middle
• Harlan Max; initials H.M.; shares first initial with older sibling
• Delilah Marie; initials D.M.; first name ending with A

I see the temptation to use the initials D and G. And it’s always fun to ask our older children for opinions about their siblings’ names.

Let’s look at your current list.

ELLORIE, AUDREY, LUCY

I can easily imagine any of these names fitting in with your current children’s names. But if they’re not your favorites, I’m not sure they should be The Name.

CHARLOTTE GRACE

I really like the way Charlotte is another kind of name. Tailored surname Harper, brief and traditional Max, feminine and sparky Delilah. Charlotte feels like the exact right midpoint between Harper and Delilah, and a more classic match for Max, too.

PIPER FAYE

This is sort of perfect, isn’t it? Harper, Max, Delilah, Piper. There’s a family name in the mix. And they’re all upbeat, contemporary names. Also: I love the way there’s a subtle musical vibe to all three girls’ names: harp, pipe, and the song “Hey There Delilah.”

MORE SUGGESTIONS TO GO WITH HARPER, MAX, and DELILAH

Because it feels like your list is so strong, I’m less inclined to come up with additional suggestions. But a few came to mind, so I’ll mention them here.

BLAIR, CLAIRE

I wonder if you’d like a short, ends-with-R name? Blair is more like Harper. Claire feels more like a substitute for classic Charlotte.

DELANEY

Another D name like Delilah, with more of the rhythm of Ellorie.

FRANCES called FRANKIE

Or Francesca called Frankie? The formal names are more buttoned-up, but Frankie is high energy and just plain fun. Then again, if you haven’t used a form of the name Frank yet, maybe it’s just not for you.

GABRIELLE

Another G middle name possibility. I do kind of love it with Piper, and it’s another one of those gently French choices, in the key of Marie.

PIPPA, POPPY

Piper could be Pip or Pippa for short, of course, but I wonder if Pippa or Poppy would appeal as formal names?

SHOULD YOU SWITCH UP THE MIDDLE?

Two things occur to me: Piper Frances and Charlotte Blair. The first uses a version of Frank as a middle. The second takes feminine Charlotte and adds a more Harper-inspired middle.

It’s also tempting to suggest Piper Charlotte. It really does feel like the best of both worlds. Or even Charlotte Frances or Charlotte Faye, because then your daughter’s initials would nod to you and your husband.

This is all a very long way of saying that I really like the way Harper and Piper bookend your children’s names, but I think there’s an opportunity to think about middle name options a little more. Faye is fabulous, and the family connection is a real plus. But switching up the middle might check a few more boxes that could be satisfying.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a sister for Harper, Max, and Delilah?