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Name Help: A Sister for Kellan and Kendall

September 26, 2020 By appellationmountain 12 Comments

Name Help: A Sister for Kellan and KendallName 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!

Melissa writes:

We are having a surprise third baby – we don’t know the gender yet.

We have a boy and a girl, Kellan and Kendall. We like Declan or Landon for a boy, which I think minus being a “K” name fits.

We are completely unsure of a girl name … lost is more like it! We don’t like names ending in -y or -ie and don’t want an H name. We’re not really feeling adding another K to the set, either.

Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

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

Dear Melissa –

Congratulations on your third!

It’s funny … some people would hear Kellan and Kendall and think, of course their third child has to have a K name, too! Other people hear Kellan and Kendall and have the exact opposite reaction.

I used to think I would’ve pushed for another K name … except in our own family, my husband and I are As who gave our son an A name, and then chose a C name for our daughter. Other factors mattered more than completing a set.

It sounds like you’re in a similar place. It’s not that there aren’t K names you might like. You’d just rather find something that suits this child, but doesn’t make them sound quite so coordinated. (Koordinated? Groan.)

The right name for Kellan and Kendall’s sister would probably be:

  • Tailored, even unisex in style.
  • Modern – nothing like Agatha or Millicent.
  • Nickname-proof.
  • Familiar, but not Top 100 – which rules out Skylar or Addison.

So what’s midway between, say, Addison and Millicent?

A SISTER FOR KELLAN AND KENDALL

BLAIR

A handful of one-syllable surname names come to mind: like Blair/Blaire, Sloan/Sloane, and Laine/Lane. Choosing a third surname emphasizes that it’s the style you like, not so much the letter K. And shorter names are often nicely nickname-resistant, too.

HOLLAND

One thing that stands out to me: both Kellan and Kendall share a double-L … just like place name Holland. I suppose some might ask if you’re Dutch. (Of course, if you are, it could be perfect.) But Holland has been used as a given name for years, and has ranked in the girls’ Top 1000 every year since 2014.

LYRIC

Word names might work, and Lyric is one of those musical favorites that feels a little different, but also perfectly familiar. (I’d call it a “sweet spot” name.)

MAREN

A tailored Scandi import, connected to more traditional feminine names, Maren bridges the difference between picks like Mary and Margaret and modern surname favorites like Madison and Mackenzie.

PARKER

Parker is more popular for boys, but ranks in the girls’ Top 200, too. That’s one reason it goes well with Kellan and Kendall. Another factor: like Declan, it has the ‘k’ sound in the middle, without being a third K name. It’s subtle, but it connects the names nicely.

SUTTON

Another surname name option that’s rising in use, Sutton seems like a good match – it shares just a little of Kellan’s ends-with-n rhythm, but I can say the three names fast without tripping over them.

TEAGAN

Like Kendall, Teagan seems unisex – but it’s used in far bigger numbers for girls. That might make it perfect.

WINTER

If you’d like to edge slightly away from surnames in general, a handful of nature names share that tailored style. Winter is my favorite with Kellan and Kendall, but Briar, Sage, and River would all work, too.

Overall, my favorites are Teagan and Parker. I think Teagan just plain sounds right. And Parker’s middle K appeals, too.

But let’s open it up to the community, because I know they’ll have some good suggestions.

What would you name a sister for Kellan (b) and Kendall (g)?

More names you might like:

  • Name Help: Fourth Four-Letter Boy NameName Help: Fourth Four-Letter Boy Name
  • Name Help: Long and Lyrical Girl NamesName Help: Long and Lyrical Girl Names
  • Name Help: A Sister for Julia, Simone, and CallaName Help: A Sister for Julia, Simone, and Calla
  • Name Help: Connecting Names for Boy-Girl TwinsName Help: Connecting Names for Boy-Girl Twins
  • Name Help: Nature Names Beyond Birds and FlowersName Help: Nature Names Beyond Birds and Flowers

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Comments

  1. keats says

    October 3, 2020 at 3:06 PM

    I love the suggestions on Dakota and Lennox. I also think Holland hits all the right marks.

    I was thinking of Dylan for your daughter. It takes the end of Kendall and the end of Kellan and ties them together. And if Logan can be a girl’s name, why not Dylan? Sounds pretty spunky to me, just like your other kids names. Kellen, Kendall and Dylan.

    I also think Linden could be the female counterpart for Landon. As a nature name, it leans feminine but has the same unisex, tailored vibes of her siblings. Kellen, Kendall and Linden.

    Landon or Declan for a boy, and Linden or Dylan for a girl gets my vote!

    Oh and if you do decide to go for a K, how about Kara or Kai? Kellen, Kendall and Kara/Kai.

    Reply
  2. Anchors_and_Whales says

    September 28, 2020 at 8:50 AM

    I think Declan is perfect for a boy in this set. Perfect.

    For a girl, I second Abby’s suggestion of Teagan.

    And I’ll add

    Lennox – like Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden; it has the EN and L and K sounds

    Reply
  3. Jaime says

    September 27, 2020 at 8:09 PM

    I like Declan and Landon for you. From Abby’s list, for a girl, my faves are Blair, Sutton and Teagan.

    A few additional suggestions:

    Merritt
    Hollis
    Tiernan
    Tierney
    Collins

    Reply
  4. Iris says

    September 27, 2020 at 6:38 AM

    Larkin, Brooklyn, Blayke or McKenna.
    I like keeping the K but not as an initial. Breaks the pattern without excluding this new baby

    Reply
  5. CA says

    September 27, 2020 at 4:03 AM

    Some great suggestions already, so I’ll try not to repeat. I agree that Teagan and Parker would both work nicely!

    Keeping the K in there, but not up front:
    Annika
    Brook
    Danika
    Erika
    Clark (It worked on The 100!)
    Dakota
    Makenna, Mckenna (so many spelling options there, but too much “ken”?)
    Mckayla, Mikaela, Mckinley…
    Rebekah, Rebecca (totally different style and possible unexpected spelling, but it could work…)

    Double L
    Bellamy (speaking of The 100, while I prefer Bellamy on a boy, the double L and unisex feel would be great with your other kiddos)
    Adella/Adelle
    Allana
    Allison
    Arielle
    Ellis
    Marielle
    Pallas (I’m probably the only person who likes this, but I do!)
    Willow

    Tailored:
    Adair
    Love the suggestion of Maren!
    Neve

    Reply
  6. renchickadee says

    September 26, 2020 at 10:52 PM

    Love Abby’s suggestion of Teagan. If the double-L connection appeals, maybe Wallis or Bellis?

    Reply
  7. Lashley says

    September 26, 2020 at 8:27 PM

    I like your double letter/double L connection, so playing off of that –

    Miller
    McKenna
    Tessa
    Charlotte/Lottie

    Reply
  8. Karmen says

    September 26, 2020 at 2:42 PM

    My first thought was Harper, but if they are not keen on H names then Parker would be cute too. I would also offer Sailor.

    I think your suggestion of Blair is cute, Briar may also fit.

    Reply
  9. Sharimsh says

    September 26, 2020 at 1:28 PM

    Rowan*
    Parker
    Eden
    Brenna*
    Brynn/Blynn
    Campbell*

    Playing on the has the letters “A, E, L, &N”

    Braelyn*
    Lauren
    Leandra
    Leanore
    Linnea*
    Natalie*
    Naleah
    Noelani
    Adeline
    Annabel
    Aveline
    Elenna
    Ellasyn*
    Emmaline
    Evaline

    *Names I think go very well with this sibset

    Reply
  10. Kirstin G says

    September 26, 2020 at 12:45 PM

    Here’s a few more suggestions:

    McKenna
    Dakota
    Brooklyn
    Quinn
    Morgan

    Reply
  11. A says

    September 26, 2020 at 11:25 AM

    Elliot would share the double L which is a nice subtle way to link all the names together.

    Other suggestions

    Avery
    Delaney
    Morgan
    Tessa
    Eden
    Reagan
    Campbell
    Sutton
    Palmer
    Brooke
    Paige

    Reply
  12. Renée says

    September 26, 2020 at 10:58 AM

    Would you like:

    Arden
    Sawyer
    Dallas

    Reply

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