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.
Table of Contents
A BROTHER FOR MAYA
Courtney writes:
We are due with a boy at the end of April and really struggling to find something we both like, never mind something we love as much as our daughter’s name.
Our daughter is Maya Everly. If this baby was a girl, we liked Stella.
What I love about Maya’s name: it’s sort of international, but still easy to pronounce. It really can’t be shortened to a nickname that I don’t like. Plus other people really like her name, and it makes a good impression. I think it sounds sweet for a baby, but strong for an adult.
Nothing for a boy has come close.
So far our list is:
- Arlo, I love this, but my husband isn’t really on board
- Jace, my husband likes but feels sort of unfinished to me
- Kai, but my husband wants to spell it Kye, and I think that would be confusing
- Remy, a new favorite, but my husband only likes it for a girl
- Tristan, my favorite name from before we knew Maya was a girl, but not sure about it now
Our last name sounds like Har-back.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
VERSATILE, COMPLETE, CURRENT
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your son!
It’s easy to see why you love Maya’s name. Maya is versatile, working across cultures. It’s complete and nickname-proof. And it’s been a Top 100 pick since 2002. We absolutely see it as a well-established choice and I agree that is positively perceived.
Naming a second child can be harder than naming our first, for lots of reasons. Most of the time, I feel like there’s a good choice already on veteran parents’ short list. This time, though? It does feel like new ideas might really help.
We’re looking for a boys’ name that is versatile, easy to spell and pronounce, and not likely to be shortened.
At the same time, our name preferences often vary slightly from daughters to sons. Remy and Kai check every box that Maya does, but they’re not rising to the top of your list.
I want to point out one other quality. Maya and Stella are smooth names, light on consonants despite their distinctive sounds. They complement the stronger sounds of your surname. Jace and Remy do the same. Arlo’s repeating AR sound seems a little challenging. Kai/Kye and Tristan fall somewhere in between, though I like them both quite a bit with Har-back.
Let’s find some more boy names like Maya and Stella.
FRESH SUGGESTIONS
BEAU, BOWEN
Beau shares the short, strong qualities of Kai/Kye with just a hint of repeating consonant. Beau Har-back sounds memorable to my ear. And the -eau spelling is, far and away, the most familiar. But if you hesitate over having to spell it, I wonder if you might like something longer, like Bowen? With your surname, I might like it even better than Beau.
DYLAN
Maya has multiple meanings, but one of those is water. And so Dylan, meaning tide, came to mind immediately. I like it as an alternative to Tristan. While the spelling shifts, Dilan is internationally known. Like Maya, this name is a long-time Top 100 staple, familiar but also very current.
EVERETT
A good balance between traditional and modern, with an appealing sound and a single spelling.
JONAH
Another water-related name. While Jonah means dove, we tend to think the story of Jonah and the whale. It’s a traditionally masculine choice with an appealing, smooth sound.
JUDE
A possible alternative to Jace. It could be short for Judah, but Jude normally stands on its own.
LUCA
An international form of the enduring Lucas and Luke. The hard C sound echoes the ending sound of your surname nicely.
TATE
An upbeat name that strikes the middle ground between Kai/Kye and Tristan.
WELLS
A modern surname name that keys to water, like Dylan and Jonah, but shares the strong EL sound of Stella.
Overall, I really like Luca and Dylan. I think they fit the list of criteria for boy names like Maya, without being too similar or repetitive. Luca Remy or Dylan Jace, maybe?
Congratulations on your baby boy.
There’s really good suggestions already so I will only add one more for you to consider.
Maya & Kirk
I just like the way both names have four letters, double letters, and look and sound together.
All the best
Xxx
Maybe your sweet spot is a one-syllable name that is a bit more classic OR a longer (but nickname-proofish) name that’s more modern? I could totally see these as a brother for Maya:
Jake
Keir
Will
Zach
Atlas
Levi
Truman
Xander
Maya Everly and _______Har-back
If you like Arlo, what about another -o ender? I love Leo for you, and Leo and Maya seem perfectly matched. I also really love Theo. Leo is more international, but Theo feels very cool and flexible. Or maybe even Nico?
If Jace doesn’t quite feel complete, what about Jasper? It has a similar sound but a little more length, and matches Maya really nicely. Similarly, Jack is sweet, complete, and versatile.
If your husband doesn’t like Arlo, would Archer be a good compromise? I love Maya and Archer together, and while it’s not super international, it’s easily spelled and pronounced. The nickname Archie might be a drawback, but I doubt people would default to it, and it could be cute if you like it.
Other ideas:
– Rory (instead of Remy)
– Finn
– Callum
– Holden (instead of Tristan)
– Declan (instead of Tristan)
– Roman (instead of Tristan)
Maya & Tristan (and Stella) are great together. I also like Abby’s suggestion of Maya & Luca or Dylan. And Leo from the comments. I’ll throw in Maya & August, Abram, Leon, Liam, Theo, or Rhys.
Hi-
I will second the suggestion of Hugo (my older nephew’s name) and add Casper (my younger nephew’s name).
Maya & Hugo
Maya & Casper
Other names that could work well with Maya, I think, are:
Cole
Victor
Nolan
Levi
Orson
Maya & Cole
Maya & Victor
Maya & Nolan
Maya & Levi
Maya & Orson
Best wishes!!
Congrats on baby #2!
I love Abby’s suggestion of Jude. It feels just as cool as Kai, Jace, and Arlo and perfect alongside Maya.
Arlo makes me think of Leo which feels just as international as Maya. Maya and Leo Har-back
Arlo and Jace make me want to suggest Jonas. Maya and Jonas Har-back
If you like Stella for a girl, would you consider Stellan for a son? Stellan feels like a great mix of familiar (thanks to actor Skarsgard) yet unexpected. Maya and Stellan Har-back
Kai and Jace are brisk and breezy with cool dude vibes. I think Zane checks those boxes too. Maya and Zane. Zane Tristan Har-back maybe? I think this might be my favorite for you
Congratulations on your baby boy!
I love the name Kai, but I agree that spelling it Kye is confusing.
Other ideas that go with Maya:
Hugh or Hugo
Owen
Oren