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.
SHOULD YOU CHOOSE A NAME YOUR LOVED ONES DON’T LIKE?
Jennifer writes:
I am thrilled to be able to write to you and ask for your guidance with naming my third child, our first girl, due in early 2025.
My husband and I have one name that we agree on but after mentioning it to my dear grandmother, I’m starting to get cold feet. She asked why I couldn’t pick a real name.
Our top name is Opal, or Opaline.
Other than my grandmother’s reaction, I’m hesitant about the “uhhhl” sound at the end. I don’t know if I’m over-thinking it but it doesn’t seem to slip off the tongue as easily as my sons’ names.
I do like the fact that all of my children’s names would end differently. And I do like that they’re all two syllables.
Nicknames are important to me – my husband loves the nickname Opie if we went with Opal.
If not Opal, we have discussed:
- Parker – my husband knows a Parker
- Dahlia – my husband doesn’t like the infamous news story
- Grace
- Hazel – but too popular?
- Eleanor
- Mabel – but gaining in popularity?
- Briar
To me, it’s a big bonus if the name has a special meaning (that’s what sold me on Bodhi), and isn’t too popular.
I’m also open to nature names, as my son’s middles are both nature-themed. I’d love some suggestions that embody beauty, strength and/or hope – all things that come to mind when I think of this baby.
For middles, we’d like to use family names, Anne and Barbara.
Her last name will be Irish, a name that is relatively popular as a first name.
Thank you so much for your help! I am over the moon but feel so much pressure to pick the perfect name for our little girl.
LOOKING FOR MEANING AND STYLE
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your daughter!
You’ve got such a great name list, and I like the way Arlo and Bodhi go together without being too matched. They’re new-old names: plenty of history and backstory, but not really used until more recent years.
Let’s talk about your current list first, then jump into some fresh possibilities. But – spoiler – I kind of think you might already have found your daughter’s name.
CURRENT LIST
ELEANOR, GRACE, HAZEL
Let’s start by dropping names ranked in the current US Top 100. They’re gorgeous choices, all. But they’re not a secret anymore. Arlo and Bodhi have risen in use, and they’re familiar … but they’re just not this common.
DAHLIA, PARKER
So different! And yet, I can see either as a sister for Arlo and Bodhi. It’s just if your husband has strong, clearly articulated objections, I doubt they’re really options, right?
MABEL
When it comes to popularity, there are numbers – and then there’s the reality of the kids in our extended circle of friends, family, and neighbors. Mabel is absolutely gaining in use, but it’s still similar to Bodhi, popularity-wise. I have a hard time ruling it out, but it sounds like you’re hearing it around you more than you’d like. The thing: between Opal and Hazel, Mabel is a good midpoint: very familiar, easily pronounced and spelled, not too common.
BRIAR
A nature name used for girls and boys alike – though modestly more common for girls – Briar has a lot to offer. The imagine is appealing. It brings to mind sweetbriar – a rose bush, a little bit elegant but also spiky and wild. It’s easy to spell and pronounce, borrowed from nature but works well as a personal name, too. Like Arlo and Bodhi, you might argue that Briar has history. (Briar Rose was another name for Sleeping Beauty in the folktales, and Disney uses it in their version, too.) But it feels fresh and modern, just like your boys’ names.
OPALINE
Opaline has been used in tiny numbers for decades – but it’s very rare. In fact, I wasn’t certain how to pronounce it. After checking with Forvo, I’m inclined to say it ends with -een. And that’s a little bit dated, from the age of Maureen and Darlene. (Those names will be back, of course – but not quite yet, though sparky Maxine is gaining in use.) Opaline could rhyme with pine and shine and Adeline, of course, which is far more current. But I’m not sure the extra syllable adds that much.
OPAL
It’s so frustrating when a loved one criticizes our favorite name!
But here’s the thing: names change every generation. Quiz anyone from the 1960s about their favorite names? Maybe they’ve moved on from Kevin and Lisa, Justin and Ashley … but I’m guessing they’d be surprised to hear that Isla and Asher are the 2024 equivalents of those choices.
Just like that avocado green refrigerator in the Brady Bunch kitchen, or that plaid sofa in the Tanner family living room on Full House, styles change. Dramatically. Appliances are mostly stainless. I can’t remember the last time I saw a checkered sofa.
Kayla and Taylor are mom names now, and Opal? Went from #682 in 2019 to #488 in 2023, a steady march up the popularity charts.
Is it a little less common than Arlo and Bodhi? At the moment, yes. But only a little. The challenge of girls’ names is that we often have to look a little farther up the list to find a name that feels as distinctive as the choices for our sons.
As for the ending -uhl sound … I don’t think it’s very different from Hazel or Mabel. (Or Axel or Gabriel or Noelle or … you get the idea.)
One last thought on Opal. While Opie is cute, I’d be tempted to shorten the name to Pally – Polly. (Which, okay, is actually one letter longer. But you know what I mean!)
FRESH SUGGESTIONS
ALMA
There are multiple meanings and origins for this brief, complete name, but the one that resonates most might be soul in Spanish.
BLYTHE
An archaic word meaning happy. Blythe feels like a potential compromise between modern Briar and vintage Dahlia.
ESME
Esme means esteemed or loved – which is absolutely perfect. Plus there’s a different ending sound and like Arlo and Bodhi, it’s a new-old name.
IRIS
The goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology, a messenger connecting the realm of the gods to we mere mortals. Full disclosure: Iris ranks in the current US Top 100. But … nothing really sounds like Iris, so I think it works.
LYRA
I found myself wondering what contemporary names your grandmother might’ve liked, and my thoughts turned to Lily. But Lily – particularly with all the other Lil- and Lyla and Lola names – is wildly common. Lyra, though? It’s a night sky name inspired by the constellation which was borrowed from the musical instrument – the lyre. That’s a lot of layers of meaning, plus Lyra is the main character in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, which helps make it a little more familiar.
PALMER
If Parker is taken, would Palmer appeal? It’s a similar-sounding surname. As with Opal, I might call a daughter Palmer Polly for short. The meaning is appealing, too: it refers to palm trees. Someone earned the nickname Palmer because they’d been on pilgrimage to the Holy Lands and brought back palm fronds. It suggests travel and adventure. It’s also reasonably common for girls – probably because of Brooklyn Decker’s character in 2011 movie Just Go With It.
POPPY
Bright and energetic, another nature name that’s a little more familiar than Opal and matches with your interest in nature names.
SELAH
A Hebrew musical term, Selah means pause – probably. We’re not completely certain. But it has a vaguely spiritual meaning connected to listening and reflection. Like Bodhi, it’s an appealing meaning with lots of interpretations.
THEA
Theodore means “gift of God.” Strictly speaking, the -dor part means gift. Theodora is the feminine form, and Thea a logical short form.
ZORA
A name with Slavic roots meaning dawn, Zora fits with Nora, Cora, and Aurora, but still stands out.
Overall, I really can’t top Opal. I do think I’d suggest Briar from your list as the logical second choice. And from my list? I’d be curious to hear whether Palmer works, but the name that comes to mind is likely Esme or Lyra. (Though I trip over “Arlo and Lyra” a little bit, so that gives me pause.)
Opal seems like a perfect choice! I love how it echoes the long O sounds of Arlo and Bodhi.
I have a student named Opalene (pronounced “OH-pah-LEEN”) who goes by Opal. She carries it with poise and confidence.
It sounds like you love the name! I think you should go for it.
Opal is perfection with Arlo and Bohdi— don’t hesitate. Love the strong Os. All my kiddos have 2 syllable names with different initials and endings and one is a name from your list :). Great- grands need a little time to warm up to names from their generation but they do come around!
I admit I’m rooting for a C name like ‘A’ because it be so satisfying to have an ABC set. Clover is lovely, as is Coraline (and really does feel a lot like Opaline.) How about Cadence or Campbell or Carlyle or Collins?
I love the suggestion of Gemma or Pearl, if you’re looking for other gems Pearl is particularly satisfying to use daily (Pearlie, Pearlie-Girl, Sweet Pea..)
As for grandma’s opinion, I’d leave it as that, just an opinion and I agree with others that I question whether she approved of your sons’ names as well. Opal is dusty, but it’s been used as a name.
I don’t like knocking a favourite, but I do want to validate your hesitation at the sound of Opal. It’s always been one of those names that looks so lovely but feels so strange in my mouth. Plus, Opie also has some… less than great connotations but again that’s probably not universal. From your list, I also love Mabel best and I wouldn’t think it’s any more popular than Arlo or Bodhi?
Although, Arlo and Bodhi feel so fresh that I’d expect their sister to be something like Palmer from Abby’s list, or Dove from the comments. For other two-syllable not super popular don’t end in -EE or -O sound names, how about Lola or Twyla or or Simone or Dallas or Holland or Keaton or Summer? Holland feels particularly lovely with that shared O and sweet nicknames and great with the two honour middles.
I absolutely adore Opal, it has been a favorite of mine since I first laid eyes on an opal gemstone. And it has hit the 100 year name revival so now is the time to use the name, it dropped out of the top 1000 in the 1960’s which makes the fact the Grandmother not liking the name make perfect sense. It may not be a real name to her (which is deeply subjective anyways), but it is real to you and that is what counts.
I think Opal is lovely, and I’m sure that once your baby is here, the name won’t be a concern to anyone. Once they see it on her, it will be hard to imagine her as anything else!
Grandma will get over it. Opal is very much a real name that is currently in style and rising in popularity. I doubt she cares much for the names of your sons either, since they would not be familiar to her. I’m also sure she adores your kids regardless of what you name them. Opaline has also been used in the U.S. since at least the 19th century, according to census records. I like Opal Barbara Anne very much. Opaline might be a little more challenging to pronounce, but also pretty.
To back it up with Grandma, show her that the name Opal entered the top 1,000 names in the U.S. in 2017 and has increased in use every year since then. Last year it was No. 488 on the U.S. popularity chart. There were 624 little girls named Opal born in 2023 in the United States. It was a top 100 name for girls in the U.S. between 1904 and 1919, which is why it sounds old to Grandma. Names come back in style around 100 years after they were first popular. There will be a lot of girls in her generation with the name or names with similar sounds like Hazel and Mabel, which I bet also sound old to your grandmother. Opal is also back in the top 1,000 for girls in England and Wales.
My suggestion would be Coraline, nickname Cora if you’d like. I love that your kids would be ABC and would all share that long O sound plus Coraline feels so similar to Opaline but it’s a bit more familiar. Coral gives you the nature connection you’re looking for as well and some websites say Coraline/Cora means “heart” or “dove” which are both lovely. Dove gives you another nature connection.
Arlo, Bodhi, and Coraline
Arlo, Bodhi, and Cora
Coraline Anne or Coraline Barbara both sound great as well. You could even go with Coraline Barbara Anne if you wanted to use both family names
Congratulations and please update us when she is here!
Congratulations on your baby girl! Opal is a beautiful name, in spite of your grandmother’s hesitation. I like that Arlo, Bodhi and Opal all have a strong O but in different positions in the name. Did your grandmother have similar reservations about Arlo and Bodhi? If she has now accepted their names, I’m sure she would accept baby Opal after she’s born. My one reservation is that Opal Anne and Opal Barbara don’t roll off my tongue easily. I prefer Opal Anne though. Or would you use both idles? Opal Anne Barbara? Opal Barbara Anne? Somehow the 2 middles together make it better to my ears.
If not Opal, my next favourite from your list is Mabel. It sounds like it’s cut from the same cloth as Opal. I have not met any baby Mabels. There aren’t any in my kids’ elementary school. I know of one 5 year old Mabel who lives 4 hours away from us, but that’s all.
Mabel Barbara Anne?
Opal Barbara Anne?
Arlo, Bodhi & Opal?
Arlo, Bodhi & Mabel?
For what it’s worth, my 5 year old likes Mabel best because it makes him think of maple syrup.
Hi! I also like Opal more than Opaline & I was going to add Clover to the list as well. It has the same “O” sound and a great meaning-it means “key” and is a symbol for luck.
I am adding a few other ideas that could work too:
Calla (means beautiful)
Linden (usually for boys, but starting to be used for girls…special tree)
Gemma (gem)
Ondine (little wave – “O” sound)
Ione (Greek-violet flower…three syllables though)
Mireille (French-to admire-Mir – AY)
Dove (just one syllable…symbol of peace)
Pearl
Celestine (longer…might be alternative to Opaline)
Best wishes!!
Of all the names on your list I like Opal best, especially alongside her brothers’ names.
From Abby’s suggestions my favourite is Iris.
The only name Is consider adding is Clover.
Arlo, Bodhi & Clover.